| To brief or not to brief
President Donald Trump over the weekend questioned the value of his daily coronavirus task force briefings. "“What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately," he said, while also expressing his disappointment that the briefings produce good ratings.
In a harmonious convergence of goals, White House advisors who find Trump's off-the-cuff commentary a source of consternation likewise expressed a desire for the briefings - or at least Trump's headlining them - to come to an end.
Nevertheless, on Monday Trump announced he would be leading today's briefing.
Watch today's briefing live, or in full, here.
At least some in the press think he's doing just fine.
Alternative Now
The president was very active on Twitter over the weekend. He found a Democratic ad he's suing over to be mostly true. And Fox News Channel to be mostly false.
Also he retweeted someone calling coronavirus deaths mostly a hoax.
Oh and something about the "Noble" prize. If you missed that story, Don Lemon's facial expressions can tell it.
Journalism under attack
NBC News chief Andy Lack called out attacks on the media from two antagonists — President Donald Trump and the coronavirus — in a rare op-ed Monday, but maintained that journalists are “winning” the battle.
A timely and devastatingly on point op-ed.
Speaking of bad tweeting
Former Southern District of New York attorney Preet Bharara was mercilessly called out on Twitter for a tweet in which he said he is “sick and tired of subsidizing Kentucky.”
Wait we almost forgot, there was even more from Trump. Like Bharara, the president is fed up with money going to certain states.
Tara Reade The former neighbor of Tara Reade, who has accused 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault, reportedly backed-up Reade’s allegations this week.
Democracy delayed
Ex-candidate and current Senator Bernie Sanders lit up New York for cancelling the Democratic primary election over coronavirus. Calling it a "blow to democracy," his campaign, which is suspended, released a statement on Monday.
Friendship over? Piers Morgan wrote recently that he’s been appalled by a lot of what Trump has said during this crisis, “but by far the most reckless and dangerous thing President Trump has done is use the most powerful podium on earth to air his batsh*t crazy theories about how to beat the virus.” Hours after that column ran, the president unfollowed Morgan on Twitter, something Morgan highlighted afterwards. On Monday, Morgan penned another open letter, repeatedly emphasizing their friendship and how “I’ve always believed the best friends are ones unafraid to offer blunt unvarnished criticism to someone who is behaving in a shockingly self-destructive way.
Memorial Scholarship The Dr. Charles Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship was set up by Fox News in partnership with the National Merit Scholarship Program, to award eligible children of staffers at FNC and Fox Business Channel. This week, the program has announced it's first two recipients.
Congratulations to Ami Carey of Lynbrook, NY and Michael Carey of Merrick, NY. The children of FOX News Media Senior Vice President of Technical Operations, Steve Carey and Senior Director of IT Operations, John Carey, respectively.
Late Night Quarantine Highlights
Week Six: Here Zooms the Spider-Maaaaan Not helping
Howard Stern suggested Monday that Trump supporters “take an injection of Clorox” and “drop dead.” “I would love it if Donald would get on TV and take an injection of Clorox, and let’s see if his theory works. Let him volunteer. Or hold a big rally, say, ‘F*ck this coronavirus,’ with all of his followers, and let them all hug each other and kiss each other and have a big rally,” the SiriusXM host told his listeners. “And all take disinfectant, and all drop dead.” | 
