Trump, Diagnosed With COVID-19, to Work From Hospital

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U.S. President Donald Trump, suffering from the coronavirus, was taken by helicopter from the White House to a nearby military hospital Friday afternoon, where he was expected to remain for at least several days.The president, with a wave and a thumbs-up gesture to reporters, boarded Marine One on the White House South Lawn and flew to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, which has a suite that allows presidents to work from the hospital.Maine One with President Donald Trump aboard leaves the White House to go to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after he testedmore

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Top US Health Official: COVID-19 Response Not Compromised by Politics

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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told a congressional panel Friday he is confident that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not compromising its approval standards in a push to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine.Azar made his appearance before Congress hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he and first lady Melania Trump had both tested positive for COVID-19.The health and human services secretary was asked to appear at the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis as the committee staff released a report saying the Trump administration “engaged in a persistent pattern of political interference” intomore

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US Lawmakers, Cabinet Officials Offer Well-Wishes After Trump’s COVID-19 Diagnosis

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A little more than a month before the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump announced early Friday via Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus and have begun quarantining themselves.  In response, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted: “Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania.” Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley tweeted a short while later that Pence and his wife tested negative earlymore

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Amid Growing Criticism, Trump Condemns White Supremacy

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President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced all extremist groups, including the right-wing, pro-Trump Proud Boys, following growing criticism over his apparent refusal to condemn white supremacy during Tuesday’s presidential debate.   “Let me be clear again,” Trump told conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity.  “I condemn the KKK. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing, but I condemn that.”Trump made the comments just hours before his shocking revelation that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus after a close White House aide, Hopemore

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Trump Experiencing ‘Mild Symptoms’ After Testing Positive for COVID-19

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 White House Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows said Friday U.S. President Donald Trump is experiencing mild effects of the coronavirus after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19.“The president does have mild symptoms and as we look to try to make sure that not only his health and safety and welfare is good, we continue to look at that for all of the American people,” Meadows said as he spoke to reporters at the White House.Trump’s chief of staff said the president is “not only in good spirits, but very energetic” and remains “committed to working very hard on behalf of the American people.”    White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to the mediamore

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How Politicians Worldwide Reacted to Trump COVID-19 Infection

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A little more than a month before the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump announced early Friday via Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus and have begun quarantining themselves. In response, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted: “Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania.”Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President A woman walks past an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo Friday,more

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Female Supreme Court Justices Can Change the Conversation

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A day after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at age 87 of pancreatic cancer, President Donald Trump promised attendees at a rally in North Carolina that his nominee to fill her seat would be a woman.A week later, he announced her: Amy Coney Barrett, a 48-year-old conservative and circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.Ginsburg wanted more women on the Supreme Court. In a talk at Georgetown University in 2015, she said she was sometimes asked how many female justices would be enough to satisfy her.“When there are nine,” she replied, whichmore

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Biden Says He’ll Continue to Pray for Health, Safety of Trump and Family

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Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday said he and his wife Jill are sending their thoughts to President Donald Trump, his opponent in the November election, and Trump’s wife Melania, who both tested positive for COVID-19.”Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Biden wrote in a tweet.   …

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Trump’s Voter Fraud Claims Could Spark Electoral College Controversy

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During Tuesday’s raucous presidential debate, President Donald Trump warned that he “won’t go along with” an election result based on mail-in ballots he alleges are fraudulent. To prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, some states have expanded voting by mail, and polling indicates significantly more Democrats than Republicans are relying on this method to cast their ballots.  In addition to the likely possibility Trump will challenge the election results in court if he loses, VOA’s Brian Padden reports there are growing concerns his campaign will also try to persuade the Electoral College to overturn the popular vote in statesmore

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Trump Supreme Court Nominee’s Impact on American Life Expected to be Profound

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U.S. lawmakers have been meeting this week with President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who would fill the seat left empty by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If confirmed as expected, Barrett will have a critical impact on court decisions on a range of issues impacting life in the United States, from abortion to health care to this November’s presidential election. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. Camera: Henry Hernandez Produced by: Katherine Gypson …

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Top Trump Aide Hope Hicks Tests Positive for Coronavirus

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Hope Hicks, one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides, has tested positive for the coronavirus.Hicks, who serves as counselor to the president and traveled with him to a rally Wednesday, tested positive Thursday, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private health information. She is the closest aide to Trump to test positive so far.The White House did not immediately respond to multiple questions about the last time Trump was tested and whether he and other staffers who spent time with Hicks in recent days will be asked to quarantine.In a statement, White Housemore

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House Democrats Pass Partisan COVID Bill; Relief Talks Drag

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Democrats controlling the House narrowly passed a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Thursday night, a move that came as top-level talks on a smaller, potentially bipartisan measure dragged on toward an uncertain finish. An air of pessimism has largely taken over the Capitol.The Democratic bill passed after a partisan debate by a 214-207 vote without any Republicans in support. The move puts lawmakers no closer to delivering aid such as more generous weekly unemployment payments, extended help for small businesses and especially troubled economic sectors such as restaurants and airlines, and another round of $1,200 direct payments to most Americans.Treasurymore

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