A member of US Vice-President Mike Pence's team tests positive for COVID-19, but Donald Trump says it shows the whole concept of testing isn't necessarily great.

The decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation's top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House, according to internal government emails...

The White House is considering shutting down its coronavirus task force by the end of May and handing responsibilities to FEMA even as some models project a sharp increase in COVID-19 deaths in the coming weeks.

“It has been this administration’s commitment to ensure law enforcement has the resources necessary to combat violence against women and bring offenders to justice,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.

"Justice is, quite simply, the cornerstone of American democracy. The most profound aspirations of our nation’s founding could not be satisfied, nor its audacious hopes realized, without meaningful access to justice for all."

"This summit provides a unique and important opportunity to build on the progress that we have achieved over the last year in combating intellectual property crimes and protecting consumer health and safety."

"In our nation’s ongoing struggle to ensure environmental justice, I am proud to count you all as partners," said Attorney General Holder.

Attorney General Eric Holder was joined today by Senior Counselor for Access to Justice Mark Childress at a White House “Champions of Change” event to honor and recognize the work of legal leaders from communities large and small who are dedicating their professional lives to closing the justice gap in America.

"As these Champions share their experiences and insights with us, we will also explore ways to build on their achievements – and to replicate and amplify their outstanding work," said Attorney General Holder.

"This morning, I’m proud to join you in affirming a simple truth, and renewing this Administration’s commitment – as well as my own – to an essential idea: that no one deserves to be bullied, harassed, or victimized because of who they are, how they worship, or who they love," said Attorney General Holder.

"Today, as Attorney General – and as the father of two teenage girls – this work remains both a personal and professional priority. And for our nation’s Department of Justice, vigorously enforcing the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act is part of our solemn commitment to the citizens we are privileged to serve," said Attorney General Holder.

"Over the past three years, the President and federal agencies throughout the government have taken crucial steps to support LGBT individuals and their families," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.

"For me, and for today’s Department of Justice, protecting older Americans is a top priority that we advance on multiple fronts," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.

"So as we continue to bring our law enforcement tools to bear to investigate, prosecute and punish elder abuse perpetrators, we at the Department also know that the most effective elder abuse case is the one we prevent," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced funding awards to over 220 cities and counties, aimed at creating or saving approximately 800 law enforcement positions. The grants will fund over 600 new law enforcement positions and save an additional 200 positions recently lost or in jeopardy of being cut due to local budget cuts.

"I recognize, as you do, that there’s no single prescription for addressing these challenges and confronting their underlying causes. But I also know that those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence – the victims and the survivors – are depending on us," said Attorney General Holder.

"Five decades have passed since Dr. King laid down those immortal words. Yet, as we come together today, his work remains our common pursuit," said Attorney General Holder.

As we gather for this year’s Tribal Nations Conference – here in our nation’s capital, during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month – it’s appropriate that we celebrate these and other momentous achievements.

It will be no small feat, but we ultimately must change the culture on campuses and in communities, so that everyone understands that sexual assault is never acceptable.

"These groundbreaking efforts [Smart on Crime, Federal Interagency Reentry Council] are enabling us to tear down unnecessary barriers to opportunity and independence – while building up programs and policies that enable returning individuals to successfully reintegrate into their communities."

President Trump wants businesses to start reopening after the coronavirus forced shutdowns. Here's what the White House task force recommends for states.

The White House named three nominees to sit on a board that oversees federal employee pension funds.

The post White House appointments to impact pension fund investment decisions in China appeared first on DealStreetAsia.

As news began to leak out that the White House was thinking about winding down the coronavirus task force, it was greeted with some consternation. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic—we need the president’s leadership, don’t we? And then, in an abrupt turnaround, President Trump reversed himself and stated that…

As news began to leak out that the White House was thinking about winding down the coronavirus task force, it was greeted with some consternation. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic—we need the president’s leadership, don’t we? And then, in an abrupt turnaround, President Trump reversed himself and stated that…

As news began to leak out that the White House was thinking about winding down the coronavirus task force, it was greeted with some consternation. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic—we need the president’s leadership, don’t we? And then, in an abrupt turnaround, President Trump reversed himself and stated that…

On January 28 at the White House, President Trump unveiled his plan for Middle East peace alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjanim Netanyahu. Below, Brookings experts on the peace process and the region more broadly offer their initial takes on the announcement. Natan Sachs (@natansachs), Director of the Center for Middle East Policy: This is a…

As news began to leak out that the White House was thinking about winding down the coronavirus task force, it was greeted with some consternation. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic—we need the president’s leadership, don’t we? And then, in an abrupt turnaround, President Trump reversed himself and stated that…

With the recent departure of White House Counsel, Don McGahn (and premature announcement of his successor, Pat Cipollone), turnover within the most senior level of White House staff members bumped up to 83 percent. Ten of the twelve Tier One staff members have departed, leaving only Cabinet Secretary, Bill McGinley, and Chairman of the Council…

On March 16, 2020, the Federal government issued new guidelines to help protect Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. Dubbed “15 days to slow the spread,” these guidelines urged Americans to avoid social gatherings, discretionary travel, shopping trips, and social visits. Since then, many states, at different times, also issued directives to promote social distancing. What…

On January 28 at the White House, President Trump unveiled his plan for Middle East peace alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjanim Netanyahu. Below, Brookings experts on the peace process and the region more broadly offer their initial takes on the announcement. Natan Sachs (@natansachs), Director of the Center for Middle East Policy: This is a…

It's mostly a fake, completely rebuilt in the early 1950s.

It's not a big deal but it could become a big symbol.

A state of emergency has been declared in Hungary where four people are dead, 120 injured and six missing as torrents of red toxic sludge, the byproduct of bauxite refining for aluminum, burst from a containment pond and poured through six villages in

In the latest installment of 'A Death by 1000 Cuts,' a New York TImes analysis lists the Earth-loving rules that Washington is seeking to reverse.

You may have heard that the iPhone 3G went on sale this morning. I saw a line outside of the AT&T; stores here in Manhattan, and I heard there was a line around the block this morning at the Union Street Apple store in San

It took a while, but there will soon be solar panels on the White House.

The 6.3kW solar array might not produce enough energy to power the White House, but its symbolism is important.

Download it while you can.

President Trump was "not happy" to learn his personal valet, who serves him meals and performs other tasks in close proximity to Trump, tested positive for the coronavirus.

A new Cold War is emerging from the ongoing U.S.-China geopolitical tensions, says Clete Willems, an Akin Gump partner and former White House official. He cites the "growing frustration" with China's economic policies and resistance to investigations for its alleged coronavirus involvements.

To help bolster the economy, the White House is weighing a variety of measures, including the possibility of extending the tax deadline to September or even December.

Proposed cuts could end decades of U.S. leadership in exploring that world

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

The woman who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 called on him to drop out of the US presidential race, saying Thursday she'd take a polygraph about the alleged encounter if he would.

Sunlight kills COVID-19 while warmer temperatures and humid weather significantly damage the virus, measured in terms of the virus' half-life or the time it takes to cut its potency in half, according to the latest breakthrough research from the US Department of Homeland Security's most advanced biocontainment lab, released at the White House on Thursday.

The coronavirus outbreak in the US has killed nearly 50,000 Americans and infected more than 860,000 till date. Research around the effect of temperature and humidity has been gaining traction for weeks, these are the most downloaded papers on research websites but this is the first time the US government has put an official stamp on initial results of temperature tests on COVID-19.

"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both on surfaces and in the air. We've seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well. Increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favourable to the virus," Bill Bryan, chief of the science and technology directorate at the US Department of Homeland Security, said.

In a room at 70-75F temperature with 20 per cent humidity, the half-life of the virus is about an hour, according to Bryan. "But you get outside and it cuts down to a minute and a half, very significant difference when it when it gets hit with UV rays," he said.

According to the same research, the virus' half-life on surfaces reduces dramatically with a combination increase of temperature and humidity. When the temperate is kept constant at 70-75F and only the humidity is cranked up from 20 per cent to 80 per cent, the virus' half-life is shown to crash from 18 hours to 6 hours. If the temperature is increased to 95F, the half-life sinks to barely 60 minutes.

Bryan said this testing was done at DHS' advanced biocontainment lab in Maryland, just outside the national capital. Pointing to charts with data from experiments on the COVID-19 virus, Bryan said the virus half-life plunges "drastically" with exposure to higher temperatures and even minimal exposure to humidity.

Bryan said the DHS biocontainment lab is the only one in America that has the capability to do the kind of testing that has led to the research on the virus' UV and temperature tolerance.

Bryan explained the mechanics of the COVID-19 temperature tolerance experiment in simple terms. He said the virus was first locked into a 5-gallon bucket and suspended in the air inside. "We're able to take a particle of a virus and suspend it in the air inside of this drum and hit it with various temperatures, various humidity levels, multiple different kinds of environmental conditions to include sunlight. And we're able to measure the decay of that virus while it's suspended in the air. This is how we do our aerosol testing."

"While there are many unknown links in the COVID-19 transmission chain, we believe these trends can support practical decision making to lower the risks associated with the virus," Bryan said. The DHS team has also tested the effect of bleach and isopropyl alcohol on the virus, "specifically in saliva and respiratory fluids".

"And I can tell you that bleach will kill the virus in five minutes, isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds, and that's with no manipulation. No rubbing."

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11 out of 100 people below 25 years, 17 out of 100 people in the 25 to 45 age group, and 21 out of 100 people between 45 and 65 years who presented with

US President Donald Trump invited faith leaders, including a Hindu priest, to recite prayers at the White House as the country is "engaged in a fierce battle against a very terrible disease." The COVID-19 crisis in the US is worsening with over 1,273,887 confirmed cases as on Friday.

Vice-president makes suggestion even as number of deaths across the country spikes

The White House published a tweet claiming Scotland is not part of the UK. In a now deleted post, the US President’s official residence said Donald Trump was 'departing the U.K.’.

Amid controversy over taxpayer dollars going to a Trump Organization golf resort in Scotland, his son insisted the family business didn't make a dime on the transaction.