Bernie Sanders, who reshaped US politics, ends 2020 presidential run

Inspirational senator’s youth-led movement pushed for sweeping social change but fell far behind Joe Biden in bid for nomination

Bernie Sanders, the 78-year-old senator from Vermont who reshaped American politics with his youth-led movement for sweeping social change, announced on Wednesday that he was ending his presidential campaign for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Sanders informed staff he was suspending his presidential campaign during a conference call on Wednesday morning, capping what has been an extraordinary rise from relative obscurity to standard-bearer of the American left as an unabashed democratic socialist who championed the working class and called for political revolution.

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Coronavirus US live: Trump reportedly knew pandemic was likely in January

Joe Biden said he would like Bernie Sanders to be “part of the journey,” although not his running mate, if he wins the Democratic nomination.

Biden has a significant lead in the delegate count, but Sanders remains in the race, despite an increasingly narrow path to the nomination.

President Trump said he had a friendly phone conversation with former Vice President Joe Biden to talk about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden told @craigmelvin in a one-on-one interview that he doesn't want the November election delayed. pic.twitter.com/DICLhBafTE

The White House has confirmed Stephanie Grisham is leaving her role as press secretary to rejoin the first lady’s team.

“My replacements will be announced in the coming days and I will stay in the West Wing to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed,” Grisham said in a statement released by the White House.

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Coronavirus US live: Trump says country will reopen ‘sooner than people think’

Dr Birx shared a personal story about her granddaughter’s current high fever and her inability to visit. Earlier, Trump accidentally referred to her “grandson”.

“I’m sure it’s roseola or something,” Birx says of her 10-month-old granddaughter’s high fever.

She doubts it’s coronavirus because her family is self-isolating.

“No one is allowed into that house or out of that house because there’s too much precious cargo inside,” Birx says https://t.co/zvWlrulgbf

More details from the Guardian’s Sam Levine on the Wisconsin election:

The US supreme court ruled 5-4 that Wisconsin voters have to have their mail-in ballots postmarked by 7 April, election day, in order to have them counted in the state’s closely watched election. The deadline for election officials to receive the ballot is 13 April. The decision, which came shortly after the state supreme court ordered the election to move forward on Tuesday, ends days of legal fighting over the deadline for receiving absentee ballots in the state.

While I do not doubt the good faith of my colleagues, the court’s order, I fear, will result in massive disenfranchisement. A voter cannot deliver for postmarking a ballot she has not received. The question here is whether tens of thousands of Wisconsin citizens can vote safely in the midst of a pandemic.”

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Coronavirus US live: Trump uses Defense Production Act to make ventilators

The president was tested this morning, according to the White House physician.

True paper statement from the White House, passed out to reporters in the briefing room just now. pic.twitter.com/K0SVhLAk1X

LIVE: Press Briefing with Coronavirus Task Force https://t.co/L80j4W1c8O

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The pandemic is producing a ‘Trump bump’ in the polls – but it may not last | Simon Tisdall

Despite his contradictory, ill-considered response to coronavirus, a growing chunk of Americans see a man in charge. But making himself the face of the crisis may yet backfire

The rise in Donald Trump’s approval ratings – it would be misleading to call it a surge – appears to have shocked his opponents. Critics in the Democratic party and the media have noisily condemned and ridiculed his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, as have some scientists and economists.

But it seems a growing chunk of the America public does not agree.

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Coronavirus US live: Donald Trump predicts ‘a very, very painful two weeks’

Dr. Fauci said “I believe we acted early,” in response to a question about whether the US could have done more, earlier. But he conceded that earlier action could have helped.

Dr. Birx, as well, evaded the question, asserting that it remains to be seen whether the disease was spreading through the US in February or earlier.

Fact check: Hydroxychloroquine cure

Trump once again touted hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus cure, asserting that it won’t kill people because it has already been used to treat other conditions. But the drug can have serious side effects even when it is used as recommended, to treat malaria, as well as lupus and arthritis.

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Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote

President dismissed Democratic-led push for voter reforms amid coronavirus pandemic during Fox & Friends appearance

Donald Trump admitted on Monday that making it easier to vote in America would hurt the Republican party.

The president made the comments as he dismissed a Democratic-led push for reforms such as vote-by-mail, same-day registration and early voting as states seek to safely run elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Democrats had proposed the measures as part of the coronavirus stimulus. They ultimately were not included in the $2.2tn final package, which included only $400m to states to help them run elections.

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Donald Trump in ‘near tie’ with Joe Biden, new poll finds

Washington Post-ABC News poll puts former vice-president ahead by 49% to 47% among registered voters

Donald Trump has gained ground on his probable challenger in November’s presidential election and is in a “near tie” with Joe Biden, according to a new poll released on Sunday.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll put the former vice-president ahead by 49% to 47% among registered voters. In February, the same poll put the US president seven points behind.

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#WhereIsJoe: Biden campaign tries to stay relevant amid coronavirus

The Democratic frontrunner faces an unprecedented political challenge as he seeks traction while working from home

Video conferences from a basement, glitchy internet and bouts of restlessness. Joe Biden, like the rest of America, is working from home.

The former vice-president’s confinement began abruptly on 10 March, when he touched down in Cleveland for a primary-night campaign event only to learn that the state’s governor had called for all major indoor events to be canceled as the nation slowly grasped the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Coronavirus US live: House passes $2.2tn economic stimulus package

Donald Trump will be signing the stimulus package at 4pm this afternoon.

Will be signing the CARE Act in the Oval Office today at 4:00 P.M. Eastern! https://t.co/0WnTNFZPZD

Donald Trump just released an ad called “Hope” that uses sound bytes from various public figures that make it appear they are praising the president for his efforts combating Covid-19.

Reposting - the president, who has accused Democrats of politicizing the coronavirus, is out with an ad using various public statements in misleading ways to highlight his response https://t.co/QwrG5AivMY

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Coronavirus US live: US now has more cases than any other country – as it happened

The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports:

California’s homeless census was already troubled. Covid-19 is making it impossible.

Related: California's homeless census was already troubled. Covid-19 is making it impossible

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Will the coronavirus crisis spell triumph or disaster for Donald Trump?

The president was slow to address the pandemic that is plunging the US into recession but could an economic bounceback come in time to aid his re-election hopes

On the day of Donald Trump’s election, economists predicted calamity.

Related: Record 3.3m Americans file for unemployment as the US tries to contain Covid-19

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Trump’s deluge of Facebook ads have a curious absence: coronavirus

Campaign ads continue to focus on the southern border even as pandemic has killed hundreds of Americans

As the reality of the coronavirus crisis took hold in the US, Donald Trump’s Facebook campaign remained focused on a different “crisis” – the supposed threat of immigrants entering the US through the southern border.

Related: Facebook to remove misleading Trump 'census' ads

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Coronavirus US live: California governor says 1m people filed for unemployment in state

Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards updated reporters on a major spike in the Covid-19 death toll and contraction rate in the state, which remains a major coronavirus hotspot.

There are now 1,975 confirmed cases, a day-on-day increase of 407, and 65 deaths, a day-on-day increase of 19.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a briefing on Wednesday that 1 million people have filed for unemployment in the state since March 13th.

Gov @GavinNewsom says 1 million Californians have filed for unemployment since March 13. For context, CA usually gets 2500 claims a day, or about 22,500 in the 9 business days since 3/13. Instead: *one million.*#coronavirus #COVID19

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Coronavirus US live: stimulus bill fails in Senate as experts urge Trump not to roll back social restrictions

The death toll in New York City is now approaching 100. The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the city on Monday was 12,339 with 99 deaths. There are just over 20,000 confirmed cases in New York state as a whole and 157 deaths. For context, there are around 41,200 confirmed cases in the entire United States.

The State Department says it is trying to help around 13,500 US citizens who wish to return home from abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. An official told reporters on Monday that the department is looking at chartering planes to repatriate Americans abroad, and priority would be given to those in need. “If we have somebody who is 70 years old with an underlying condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, that person is going to get a higher priority on one of those flights, than the hale and hearty 20 year old,” the official said.

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Trump talks himself up as ‘wartime president’ to lead America through a crisis

The president initially scoffed at the coronavirus. Now he seems convinced he can lead – and secure four more years in November

Bill Clinton used to lament that his time as US president was broadly peaceful, and lacked a historic test of his mettle. Donald Trump believes that his moment has arrived: a crisis on a par with leading a nation at war.

Related: Lay off those war metaphors, world leaders. You could be the next casualty… | Simon Tisdall

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A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump review: dispatches from a time before the virus

David Plouffe went to the White House with Obama then predicted a Clinton victory. Has he learned from that reverse? Have we?

On Tuesday, Joe Biden and his juggernaut left Bernie Sanders’ dream in tatters. The former vice-president swept primaries in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Fact: Sanders looks a lot less appealing without Hillary Clinton to kick around.

Related: MBS review: why Trump and the west took a pass on the Khashoggi killing

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Mike Bloomberg transfers $18m to Democratic National Committee

Former presidential candidate will also transfer offices in six battleground states to help defeat Trump

Mike Bloomberg is transferring $18m (£15.5m) from his presidential campaign to the Democratic National Committee in the largest single such transfer ever made.

The largesse is the latest sign of the billionaire businessman’s continued involvement in the presidential race since ending his own campaign this month after a lacklustre showing on Super Tuesday. In the 3 March primaries the former New York city mayor won only one US territory.

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US coronavirus news: Mexican border closed to non-essential travel as New York ordered to stay at home – live

Here’s where the day stands so far:

Well, that was an eventful daily coronavirus briefing. Here are some of the highlights:

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Tulsi Gabbard quits 2020 Democratic presidential race

Hawaii congresswoman who assembled eclectic group of supporters backs Joe Biden and thanks Bernie Sanders

The controversial Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has dropped out of the Democratic presidential race. She had been the last woman in the contest – albeit a very long shot from the start – after Elizabeth Warren decided to quit within two days of a poor showing on Super Tuesday.

Gabbard, who won two Democratic delegates, both in American Samoa, endorsed Joe Biden as she suspended her campaign, a surprise move given she was one of few Democrats in Congress to back Bernie Sanders in 2016.

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