Trump ousts State Department watchdog  —  President Donald Trump has removed State Department Inspector General Steve Linick and replaced him with an ally of Vice President Mike Pence — the latest in a series of moves against independent government watchdogs in recent months.

Two Coasts.  One Virus.  How New York Suffered Nearly 10 Times the Number of Deaths as California.  —  California's governor and San Francisco's mayor worked together to act early in confronting the COVID threat.  For Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio, it was a different story, and 27,000 New Yorkers have died so far.

Alaska legislator compares pandemic safety measures at Capitol to Nazi treatment of Jews  —  JUNEAU — A Nikiski Republican lawmaker opposed to pandemic safety measures at the Alaska Capitol compared them to Nazi Germany's labeling of Jews in an email exchange Friday with fellow members of the Alaska House of Representatives.

We could stop the pandemic by July 4 if the government took these steps  —  A $74 billion investment in testing, tracing and isolation could rescue the economy — quickly  —  With the unemployment rate at its highest level since the Great Depression — 14.7 percent and climbing …

I sent masks to health workers but the Trump administration seized them instead of helping  —  One month ago, as COVID-19 spread across the county and critical personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves, surgical gowns and face shields continued to be in short supply …

Trump pushes McConnell to embrace ‘Obamagate’  —  “Time is running out.  Get tough and move quickly, or it will be too late,” the president tweeted.  —  Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell.  Alex Wong/Getty Images  —  President Donald Trump is appealing directly …

Trump's GOP ‘party of health care’ has no coverage plan for millions amid pandemic  —  President Trump left no doubt what he wanted his GOP allies to focus on, diverting to the TV cameras before he entered a private huddle of Senate Republicans.  —  “Let me tell you exactly what my message is …

FDA halts Bill Gates coronavirus testing program  —  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted a coronavirus testing program promoted by billionaire Bill Gates and Seattle health officials pending reviews.  —  The program sought to send test kits to the homes of people both healthy …

Georgia candidates embrace group with extremist ties  —  A Georgia state representative running for Congress is facing criticism from across the political spectrum for a photo showing him alongside a longtime white supremacist activist from Dahlonega.  —  The photo shows Rep. Matt Gurtler …

Horsford admits to extramarital affair after podcaster discloses relationship  —  Congressman Steven Horsford is seen at Kiel Ranch Historic Park on May 29, 2019.  (El Tiempo)  —  Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford on Friday acknowledged that he'd carried on a longstanding affair with a former intern …

Tennessee to lift capacity restrictions on restaurants & retail, to allow large attractions to open  —  NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The governor's office announced Tennessee will lift capacity restrictions on restaurants and shops and instead focus on social distancing best practices.

Stacey Abrams Wants More Than the Vice Presidency  —  She wants the Democrats to reach a different kind of swing voter — those who otherwise stay home.  And she says she can help Joe Biden do it.  —  The clapping hands appeared on the screen one, two, a flurry of emojis flashing under …

Trump's Cordon Un-sanitaire  —  No White House reporter I've ever known was looking to harm anyone, much less the president of the United States, but the federal government never took chances.  Covering Barack Obama and now Donald Trump, I can't recall a single instance when the security cordon surrounding the president frayed.

Barber Defied Rules and Cut Hair From Home.  Now He Has the Virus.  —  The barber in Kingston, N.Y., is under investigation for giving haircuts during the shutdown.  He lashed out at Gov. Cuomo: “Is he going to feed my family?”  —  The complaint came in last month from a resident of Kingston …

Drug promoted by Trump as coronavirus ‘game changer’ increasingly linked to deaths  —  For two months, President Trump repeatedly pitched hydroxychloroquine as a safe and effective treatment for coronavirus, asking would-be patients “What the hell do you have to lose?”

A Sitting President, Riling the Nation During a Crisis  —  By smearing his opponents, championing conspiracy theories and pursuing vendettas, President Tru​mp has reverted to his darkest political tactics in spite of a pandemic hurting millions of Americans.

LAPD wants to give rapid-result coronavirus tests to everyone it arrests  —  The Los Angeles Police Department wants to give a rapid-result test to everyone its officers arrest to check for the coronavirus and are pushing city officials to secure the equipment to do so.

Now More Than Ever, Facebook Is a ‘Mark Zuckerberg Production’  —  For years, he was an obsessive C.E.O. in some ways, distant in others.  Then Facebook's problems became too acute to leave to anyone else.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — On Jan. 27, at a regularly scheduled Monday morning meeting …

Trump sets goal of hundreds of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses by January, but scientists doubt it  —  Some warn it's dangerous to set a timetable, given the scientific unknowns and the danger of rushing testing.  —  President Trump formally unveiled an initiative Friday afternoon aimed …