The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol issued a subpoena Friday to Donald Trump, exercising its subpoena power against the former president who lawmakers say is the “central cause” of a coordinated, multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The nine-member panel issued a letter to Trump's lawyers, demanding his testimony under oath by Nov. 14 and outlining a request for a series of corresponding documents, including personal communications between the former president and members of Congress as well as extremist groups.

“We recognize that a subpoena to a former President is a significant and historic action," Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter to Trump. “We do not take this action lightly.”

It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena.

President Donald Trump will hold a news briefing geared toward the administration’s response to the coronavirus for the second straight day. Wednesday’s briefing is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. ET.

On Tuesday, Trump offered a different tone on the White House’s coronavirus response, conceding that he expects the virus to get worse before it gets better.

“Something I don't like saying about things, but that's the way it is,” Trump said. “That's the way -- that's what we have. You look over the world, it's all over the world.”

Trump also echoed the advice of leading infectious disease experts by encouraging young people to avoid crowded indoor spaces, such as bars.

“We're, instead, asking Americans to use masks, socially distance, and employ vigorous hygiene, wash your hands every chance you get while sheltering high-risk populations,” Trump said. “We are imploring young Americans to avoid packed bars and other crowded indoor gatherings. Be safe and be smart.”

Data indicates that it’s not just cases seeing an increase as the number of coronavirus-related deaths also have risen in recent weeks. On Monday, more than 1,100 coronavirus-related deaths were reported, according to New York Times data. Monday marked the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day in the US in more than six weeks.

While the initial surge of coronavirus deaths were large attributed to a massive outbreak in the New York region, the Sun Belt has seen a surge in new cases, which the president pointed to during his Tuesday news conference.

After relocating most of the Republican National Convention to Jacksonville, Florida, President Donald Trump announced he has canceled the Jacksonville portion of the GOP convention for next month due to the spread of the coronavirus in Florida.

"I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right, just not right with what's happened recently, the flare up in Florida,, to have a big convention," Trump said Thursday. "It's not the right time. It's really something that for me I have to protect the American people. That's what I've always done."

A few convention activities will remain in North Carolina, Trump confirmed.

Trump and Republicans opted to pick up and move most convention activities from Charlotte to Jacksonville after North Carolina’s governor would not commit to easing social distancing mandates for the convention.

Trump said he still plans on delivering an acceptance speech during the convention week.

While the Democratic Party hasn't officially canceled its Milwaukee convention for next month, it is encouraging delegates to stay home. The party plans on "anchoring" the convention there, hosting speeches and events with a limited number of surrogates.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — As the world races to find a vaccine and a cure for COVID-19, there is seemingly no antidote in sight to the burgeoning outbreak of coronavirus conspiracy theories, hoaxes, anti-mask myths and sham treatments.

The phenomenon, unfolding largely on social media, escalated this week when President Donald Trump retweeted a false video about an anti-malarial drug being a cure for the virus and it was revealed that Russian intelligence is spreading disinformation about the crisis through English-language websites.

“It is a real challenge in terms of trying to get the message to the public about what they can really do to protect themselves and what the facts are behind the problem., said Michael Osterholm, head of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

“You don’t need masks. There is a cure,” Dr. Stella Immanuel promised in a video that promoted hydroxychloroquine. “You don’t need people to be locked down.”

The truth: Federal regulators last month revoked their authorization of the drug as an emergency treatment amid growing evidence it doesn’t work and can have deadly side effects. Even if it were effective, it wouldn’t negate the need for masks and other measures to contain the outbreak.

None of that stopped Trump, who has repeatedly praised the drug, from retweeting the video. Twitter and Facebook began removing the video on Monday for violating policies on COVID-19 misinformation, but it had already been seen more than 20 million times.

Experts say the flood of bad information is dangerously undermining efforts to slow the virus, which has been blamed for about 150,000 deaths in the U.S.

President Donald Trump held a news briefing from the White House Tuesday as the nation is still in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic.

Watch replay:

Late Monday, a Trump interview with Axios’ Jonathan Swan was released, when the president said the nation’s death coronavirus death toll “is what it is.” The president claimed that Americans should look at the number the percentage of fatal coronavirus cases instead of the per capita death rate of the virus to measure the government’s response.

"They are dying,” Trump said. “That's true. And you -- it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it."

Trump added that the United States is doing “very well" in its response. The president cited relative upticks in coronavirus cases in countries such as Germany, Japan and Australia. But according to Johns Hopkins University data, the spread of the virus in those countries pale in comparison to the spread in the United States.

“You’re starting to see that other countries are having very big flare-ups, countries that thought they were over it,” Trump said on Monday. “Like, we thought we might be over it in Florida, and then all of a sudden, it comes back. They do come back But I think we’re doing very well.”

While Trump points out that coronavirus cases are leveling off across the US, the number of coronavirus-related deaths has increased in recent weeks. The number of deaths have generally been lagging case numbers by a few weeks, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are continuing to debate the next round of stimulus. After Senate Republicans released their proposals early last week, the White House and House Democrats have struggled to reach any sort of consensus along with the Republican caucus.

While there is broad agreement on another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for Americans, issues such as food stamps, unemployment supplements, and liability protection for businesses remain key unsolved issues between the parties.

President Donald Trump on Friday said that he is ready to sign an executive order that will offer unemployment supplements, eviction protection, and a payroll tax holiday through the end of the year. Trump said the order could "by the end of the week," and that he has lawyers currently drawing up the order.

The executive order comes as Congress has stalled on negotiations with the White House on another round of stimulus funds. It also remains questionable how some of his edicts will be funded without Congressional authorization.

"You always get sued," Trump said, dismissing concerns that the orders are not legal.

His announcement comes as unemployment remained above 10% in July for the fourth straight month.

Trump did not specify how much the unemployment supplement would be for, but it would be retroactive to the beginning of the month. Previously, a $600 a week supplement for unemployed workers expired on July 31.

Trump announced that his executive order will continue a freeze on federal student loan payments until further notice.

He also said he will continue a moratorium on evictions through the end of the year. And his executive order would implement a payroll tax holiday through Dec. 31.

President Donald Trump is expected to address the media Friday afternoon at 5 ET following a report citing several unnamed sources claiming Trump made disparaging remarks about military servicemembers killed in the line of duty.

The report was published late on Thursday by the Atlantic and immediately prompted Trump to react. Sources told the Atlantic that Trump called fallen servicemembers “losers” and “suckers.”

Trump, who usually does not speak to the media when returning to the White House on trips, responded late Thursday night by denying the report’s accuracy.

On Friday, rather than holding a typical White House news briefing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany made a statement denying the report and left the briefing room without taking questions.

In addition to the Atlantic’s story, the Associated Press, Washington Post and Fox News were able to independently confirm the accuracy of much of the report with their sources.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a wave of lame duck pardons, including two for men who pleaded guilty in Robert Mueller's investigation, as well as ones for Republican allies who once served in Congress and military contractors involved in a deadly shooting of Iraqi civilians.The pardons of former campaign aide George Papadopoulos, former U.S. congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, and the four Blackwater guards involved in the Iraq massacre kick off what is expected to be a flurry of pardons and commutations in the coming weeks as Trump concludes his term.Also included in the batch announced on Tuesday are Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch lawyer who was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to lying to Mueller investigators; two Border Patrol agents convicted in 2006 of shooting and wounding an unarmed undocumented immigrant and then covering it up; and several people convicted of non-violent drug crimes serving lengthy sentences.The pardons came at the recommendation of Trump allies in Congress and, in some cases, the conservative media. Many of the non-violent drug offenders were recommended for clemency by Alice Johnson, the former federal inmate whose sentence Trump commuted at the urging of Kim Kardashian West.Mueller investigation pardonsThe pardons give forgiveness to two early defendants who pleaded guilty and served prison time in the Mueller investigation: 2016 campaign foreign policy adviser Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan, who was part of a major investigation by Mueller into illegal foreign lobbying efforts and the Ukrainian and Russian connections of Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort.Both Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan pleaded guilty to lying to investigators during the Russia investigation. And neither provided Mueller with any meaningful cooperation, prosecutors said.Papadopoulos had lied to investigators about his contacts with people connected to Russia, including discussing with them "dirt" that could hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016 and a possible trip by Trump during the campaign to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.At his sentencing, Papadopoulos' then-lawyer called him "pro-FBI" and said he had lied so he might still be considered for a job in the Trump administration. The defense lawyer, Thomas Breen, effectively blamed Trump for publicly urging people such as Papadopoulos to disregard the Russia investigators. "The President of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could," Breen argued."I made a terrible mistake," Papadopoulos told the judge during his sentencing hearing. "In hindsight, lying to federal agents about such a critical issue could have harmed our nation."He spent less than two weeks in prison in late 2018. Since then, he's railed against the investigators and how they caught him.Van der Zwaan, who is also the son-in-law of the Ukrainian-Russian billionaire German Khan, spent almost a month in prison before being deported to Europe in June 2018. He showed "muted" remorse at his sentencing, the judge noted."This is not something that happened to him. This is something he did," federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson said at Van der Zwaan's sentencing. "He put his personal interest ahead of the interest of justice."More recently, Papadopoulos ran for Congress in California's 25th District in 2019 following Democratic Rep. Katie Hill's resignation. He lost the race for the open seat in the March primary.Former congressmen pardoned Hunter, who was sentenced earlier this year to 11 months in prison and three years of supervised release related to his misuse of more than $200,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, was recommended for a pardon by "many members of Congress," according to the White House release.The former California lawmaker pleaded guilty in December 2019 to one count of conspiracy to misuse campaign funds and was set to be on supervised release for three years after serving his prison sentence. He was also required to participate in a drug and alcohol treatment program. Hunter would have started his sentence in May, but it was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and he would have reported to a federal prison in West Texas in January 2021.Hunter and his wife were indicted in August 2018 for lavishly spending on "items as inconsequential as fast food, movie tickets and sneakers; as trivial as video games, Lego sets and Playdoh; as mundane as groceries, dog food, and utilities; and as self-indulgent as luxury hotels, overseas vacations, and plane tickets for themselves, their family members, and their pet rabbits Eggburt and Cadbury," according to prosecutors.Federal prosecutors charged that Hunter had fraudulently spent more than $200,000 on expenses that included a $14,000 Italian vacation and thousands of dollars on routine items like groceries, bedding and other household items.Hunter resigned from Congress in January, after winning reelection in California's 50th Congressional District, which encompasses much of eastern San Diego County.Collins, a former New York congressman, has been serving his 26-month prison sentence in a minimum-security federal prison in Florida since October.Collins pleaded guilty in October 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of making a false statement.While attending the White House's annual congressional picnic in June 2017, Collins had shared non-public information with his son Cameron about the failed trial results for a multiple sclerosis drug the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, of which he was a board member, was developing. He later lied to FBI agents to cover it up. The stock trades allowed Cameron Collins, a co-defendant in the case, to avoid over $750,000 in losses, according to federal prosecutors. Collins himself did not trade on the information.Collins had initially fought the charges against him, calling them "meritless" when they were first brought in 2018. He even won reelection while under indictment. But in his guilty plea last year in federal court, Collins expressed regret and said that putting his son "in this jeopardy at this young age ... is something I will live with for the rest of my life."Collins resigned from Congress on Sept. 30, 2019, a day before his guilty plea. He had represented New York's 27th Congressional District for nearly seven years.

President Donald Trump late Tuesday threatened to torpedo Congress' massive COVID-19 relief package in the midst of a raging pandemic and deep economic uncertainty, suddenly demanding changes fellow Republicans have opposed.

Trump assailed the bipartisan $900 billion package in a video he tweeted out Tuesday night and suggested he may not sign the legislation. He called on lawmakers to increase direct payments for most Americans from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Trump in a Wednesday tweet to “sign the bill to keep government open!”

Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues “the entire country knows that it is urgent for the President to sign this bill.”

The final text of the more than 5,000-page bill was still being prepared by Congress and was not expected to be sent to the White House for Trump's signature before Thursday or Friday, an aide said.

Following Trump’s threat, Pelosi all but dared his Republican allies in Congress to meet the demand for far higher direct payments. She said she would offer the proposal for a vote on Thursday. But it would be offered under a procedure that allows just one lawmaker to block a vote and during a so-called pro forma session, with few lawmakers expected to attend.

Republicans complain Trump's proposal costs too much, but have not said if they will block it.

Railing against a range of provisions in the bill, including for foreign aid, he told lawmakers to "get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill."

Trump did not specifically vow to veto the bill, and there may be enough support for legislation in Congress to override him if he does. But if Trump were to upend the sprawling legislation, the consequences would be severe, including no federal aid to struggling Americans and small businesses, and no additional resources to help with vaccine distribution. In addition, because lawmakers linked the pandemic relief bill to an overarching funding measure, the government would shut down on Dec. 29.

The relief package was part of a hard-fought compromise bill that includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems, an increase in food stamp benefits and about $4 billion to help other nations provide a COVID-19 vaccine for their people.

Lawmakers spent months in a stalemate over pandemic relief funds, even as COVID-19 cases soared across the country. Democrats had pushed for higher payments to Americans, but compromised with Republicans to allow a deal to proceed.

"At last, the President has agreed to $2,000. Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let's do it!," Pelosi said in an earlier tweet.

Republicans have been reluctant to spend more on pandemic relief and only agreed to the big year-end package as time dwindled for a final deal. And Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said that "Trump needs to sign the bill to help people and keep the government open," and Congress would step up for more aid after.

Trump's call for changes to the legislation will test his sway with a Republican Party he has held tight control of throughout his presidency. Several Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have begun to gingerly break with Trump and acknowledge his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, a step Trump has refused to take. McConnell has also warned Republicans against disputing the election on Jan. 6, when Congress must formally affirm the results.

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Shortly after castigating the relief bill, Trump challenged McConnell and Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican who has also said any effort to overturn Biden's victory would be futile. Trump said he would back a primary challenge to Thune when he is up for reelection in 2022.

Trump's threats to hold up the pandemic legislation could also complicate matters for Republicans in Georgia, where two runoff races to determine control of the Senate will be held in January. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler have been running as ardent supporters of Trump and will now face questions about whether they will back his call for more money for Americans.

Jon Ossoff, Perdue's Democratic opponent, tweeted simply on Tuesday night: "$2,000 checks now."

The relief package was brought forward Monday afternoon and sped through the House and Senate in a matter of hours as lawmakers worked to close the books on the year. While many lawmakers complained about being given so little time to read the bill, they overwhelmingly voted for it as local businesses and constituents seek economic relief from the pandemic

The Senate cleared the huge relief package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved it by another lopsided vote, 359-53. Those votes totals would be enough to override a veto should Trump decide to take that step.

After months of partisanship and politicking about pandemic relief, the logjam broke after Biden urged his party to accept a compromise with top Republicans that is smaller than many Democrats would have liked.

The relief bill Trump is criticizing would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefit and a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses, restaurants and theaters and money for schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction.

Earlier in the day, Biden applauded lawmakers for their work. He described the package as far from perfect, "but it does provide vital relief at a critical time."

He also said more relief would be needed in the months ahead. "We have our first hint and glimpse of bipartisanship," Biden said. "In this election, the American people made it clear they want us to reach across the aisle and work together."

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at Palm Beach International Airport Wednesday evening to spend the final Christmas of his presidency at Mar-a-Lago.

The Federal Aviation Administration placed temporary flight restrictions around Mar-a-Lago's airspace on Tuesday and the Town of Palm Beach has placed checkpoints and closed roads around Mar-a-Lago. Those closures will be in effect through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.

The Trumps traditionally attend a Christmas service at Bethesda By The Sea in Palm Beach, but this year the church will be holding services virtually.

On Thursday, the first lady and President Trump wished everyone "a very Merry Christmas" in a video posted to the first lady's official Facebook page.

"President Donald J. Trump & I send our warmest wishes to all as we celebrate Christmas," the first lady captioned the video. "May the love we share with our family & friends fill our hearts with peace & joy!"

This story was first reported by Jason Davis at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida.

On Wednesday, the newly-seated Congress will count the Electoral College votes to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in last year’s presidential election.

President Donald Trump has been building up Wednesday's joint session of Congress, but it appears there is little he or his allies in Congress can do to stop Biden from taking office on January 20.

While the event has generally been simply a matter of procedure in years past, Wednesday’s vote will have more tension than past counts.

How the process works

Electoral College votes are divvied by state based on population. In 48 states and the District of Columbia, the candidate who won the most votes wins all of that state’s electors. In Maine and Nebraska, those states divided Electoral College votes based on how the state’s congressional districts voted.

On Jan. 6, a joint session of Congress, with Vice President Mike Pence in his role as president of the Senate, will count each state’s Electoral College votes. Senators and representatives will be given an opportunity to object to each state’s slate of electors. It takes one representative and one senator to stop the process and raise an objection.

The objection must be made in writing, and members of the Senate and House will go to their separate chambers to debate on the objections.

What Trump’s allies are hoping to accomplish

In the days following the election, Trump alleged that the election was rigged. Trump lost the Electoral College vote by a 306-232 margin. Trump’s campaign specifically has raised objections in five states won by Trump in 2016 that Biden flipped in 2020. Biden won the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona by less than 3%.

In the two months since Election Day, Trump’s campaign has lost dozens of lawsuits alleging fraud and irregularities. Courts have dismissed the lawsuits due to hearsay, lacking standing, or lacking direct allegations of fraud.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said he would sign on to a challenge. Hawley claimed Pennsylvania did not follow its own election laws. Hawley also alleged that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the election.

“I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega-corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden,” Hawley said.

Facebook and Twitter have been frequent targets of Trump’s in recent months as the companies began flagging inaccurate claims made by Trump as “misleading.”

This has prompted Trump to call for the repeal of Section 230 in the federal code, which offers legal protections for companies like Facebook and Twitter.

Without these protections, experts claim that companies like Facebook and Twitter would be forced to censor materials posted on their sites heavily.

Biden won the state of Pennsylvania by 1.2%.

While Hawley did not specifically say what laws were not followed in Pennsylvania, some Republicans were upset at a US Supreme Court decision that gave the green light to Pennsylvania to continue accepting mail-in ballots that had been mailed in before Election Day for three days.

Pennsylvania law originally stated ballots must be received by Election Day in order to be counted. Democrats argued that given slowdowns in mail service that the votes should be counted if the ballots were sent before Election Day.

The decision to include the ballots added about 10,000 votes -- most but not all for Biden -- to the final count in Pennsylvania.

Given Biden’s 80,000-vote victory in Pennsylvania, the late-arriving ballots would not have been nearly enough to change Pennsylvania's outcome.

Why Trump’s efforts are likely to fail

For an objection to be sustained, both the House and Senate would have to agree on rejecting some or all of a state’s electors.

Given that Democrats hold the US House, that alone should mean the objection will fail in the House.

Even with Hawley’s backing in the Senate, a number of Republican senators have been critical of efforts to undo the vote of electors.

2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, now serving as one of Utah’s two Republican senators, said despite irregularities, he lost “fair and square.”

”Look, I lost in 2012. I know what it’s like to lose,” Romney told CBS News. “And there were people that said there are irregularities. I have people today who say, ‘Hey, you know what, you really won’ — but I didn’t, I lost fair and square. Of course, there were irregularities. There always are. But spreading this kind of rumor about our election system not working is dangerous for democracy here and abroad.”

Procedurally, it appears the most Hawley’s effort can achieve is to delay formalizing Biden’s win by a few hours or, at most, a few days. Debate on each objection must end after two hours before a vote is called and the two chambers resume their joint session.

It should be noted that the 2021 Electoral College count is not the first time an objection has been raised.

In 2005, following John Kerry’s loss to George W. Bush, an objection was considered for the state of Ohio. While all sides knew the objection would go nowhere, several Democrats aired grievances over long lines at the polls and voters being purged from the record in the state of Ohio, where Kerry narrowly lost.

As President Donald Trump prepares for his last day in the White House, a former Trump advocate is ready to do his part to protect Trump from destroying "America's democracy."

On Friday, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen tweeted that he was asked and has agreed to testify on "the wrongdoing" by Trump and his family.

"I have been asked and have agreed to cooperate with multiple government agencies to provide testimony on the wrongdoing by #Trump and the #TrumpFamily," Cohen tweeted. "I am doing this in large part as #Trump and family have tried, and thankfully failed, to destroy America’s democracy."

Cohen tweeted after news broke that Twitter had permanently banned the president "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" two days after a violent riot occurred at the U.S. Capitol.

Cohen also commented on Twitter banning Trump from its social platform.

"Know that #Trump relies on @Twitter to exist in the same way we require oxygen to breathe. He is losing his marbles right now!"

WASHINGTON —

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House "will proceed" with bringing legislation to impeach President Donald Trump to the floor.

Pelosi made the announcement in letter late Sunday to colleagues.

THIS IS A BREAKING STORY. Earlier story follows:

With impeachment planning intensifying, two Republican senators want President Donald Trump to resign immediately as efforts mount to prevent Trump from ever again holding elective office in the wake of deadly riots at the Capitol.

House Democrats are expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday and vote as soon as Tuesday. The strategy would be to condemn the president's actions swiftly but delay an impeachment trial in the Senate for 100 days. That would allow President-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated Jan. 20.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat and a top Biden ally, laid out the ideas Sunday as the country came to grips with the siege at the Capitol by Trump loyalists trying to overturn the election results.

"Let's give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running," Clyburn said.

Pressure was mounting for Trump to leave office even before his term ended amid alarming concerns of more unrest ahead of the inauguration. The president whipped up the mob that stormed the Capitol, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five dead.

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on Sunday joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to "resign and go away as soon as possible."

"I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again," Toomey said. "I don't think he is electable in any way."

Murkowski, who has long voiced her exasperation with Trump's conduct in office, told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday that Trump simply "needs to get out."

A third Republican, Sen. Roy Blunt, of Missouri, did not go that far, but on Sunday he warned Trump to be "very careful" in his final days in office.

Corporate America began to tie its reaction to the Capitol riots by tying them to campaign contributions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's CEO and President Kim Keck said it will not contribute to those lawmakers — all Republicans — who supported challenges to Biden's Electoral College win. The group "will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy," Kim said.

Citigroup did not single out lawmakers aligned with Trump's effort to overturn the election, but said it would be pausing all federal political donations for the first three months of the year. Citi's head of global government affairs, Candi Wolff, said in a Friday memo to employees, "We want you to be assured that we will not support candidates who do not respect the rule of law."

House leaders, furious after the insurrection, appear determined to act against Trump despite the short timeline.

Late Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., convened a conference call with her leadership team and sent a letter to her colleagues reiterating that Trump must be held accountable. She told her caucus, now scattered across the country on a two-week recess, to "be prepared to return to Washington this week" but did not say outright that there would be a vote on impeachment.

"It is absolutely essential that those who perpetrated the assault on our democracy be held accountable," Pelosi wrote. "There must be a recognition that this desecration was instigated by the President."

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said an impeachment trial could not begin under the current calendar before Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Clyburn said that Pelosi "will make the determination as when is the best time" to send articles of impeachment to the Senate if and when they are passed by the House.

Another idea being considered was to have a separate vote that would prevent Trump from ever holding office again. That could potentially only need a simple majority vote of 51 senators, unlike impeachment, in which two-thirds of the 100-member Senate must support a conviction.

The Senate was set to be split evenly at 50-50, but under Democratic control once Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and the two Democrats who won Georgia's Senate runoff elections last week are sworn in. Harris would be the Senate's tie-breaking vote.

House Democrats were considering two possible packages of votes: one on setting up a commission to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office and one on the impeachment charge of abuse of power.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who was part of the weekend leadership call, said he expected a "week of action" in the House.

While many have criticized Trump, Republicans have said that impeachment would be divisive in a time of unity.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said that instead of coming together, Democrats want to "talk about ridiculous things like 'Let's impeach a president'" with just days left in office.

Still, some Republicans might be supportive.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a frequent Trump critic, said he would "vote the right way" if the matter were put in front of him.

The Democratic effort to stamp Trump's presidential record — for the second time — with the indelible mark of impeachment had advanced rapidly since the riot.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said Sunday that his group had 200-plus co-sponsors.

The articles, if passed by the House, could then be transmitted to the Senate for a trial, with senators acting as jurors to acquit or convict Trump. If convicted, Trump would be removed from office and succeeded by the vice president. It would be the first time a U.S. president had been impeached twice.

Potentially complicating Pelosi's decision about impeachment was what it meant for Biden and the beginning of his presidency. While reiterating that he had long viewed Trump as unfit for office, Biden on Friday sidestepped a question about impeachment, saying what Congress did "is for them to decide."

A violent and largely white mob of Trump supporters overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol on Wednesday, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden's victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

Toomey appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" and NBC's "Meet the Press." Clyburn was on "Fox News Sunday" and CNN. Kinzinger was on ABC's "This Week," Blunt was on CBS' "Face the Nation" and Rubio was on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures."

___

Superville reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

Some of America's biggest companies are suspending donations to Republican Congress members who objected to the Electoral College's votes.

The growing list of those corporations, including American Express, BlueCross BlueShield, Commerce Bank, Dow and Marriott, comes after a pro-Trump mob breached the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday to fight against the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that confirmed President-elect Joe Biden's win.

147 Republicans voted against certification of the electoral votes in a joint session of Congress last Wednesday evening. They included Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, among hundreds other congress members.

Airbnb: The home-rental company is "withholding" its PAC donations to all of the legislators involved in contesting certification of the electoral results.

"Airbnb strongly condemns last week's attack on the US Capitol and the efforts to undermine our democratic process," the company said in a statement. "We will continue to uphold our community policies by banning violent hate group members when we learn of such memberships, and the Airbnb PAC will update its framework and withhold support from those who voted against the certification of the presidential election results."

American Express: American Express said its political action committee would no longer make contributions to those 147 Republicans who voted to challenge the election results.

"Last week's attempts by some congressional members to subvert the presidential election results and disrupt the peaceful transition of power do not align with our American Express Blue Box values; therefore, the AXP PAC will not support them," the company said in a statement.

AT&T: AT&T released a statement Monday afternoon via its Public Policy Twitter account: "Employees on our Federal PAC Board convened a call today and decided to suspend contributions to members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes last week."

CNN's parent company, WarnerMedia, is owned by AT&T.

Blue Cross Blue Shield: "At the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, we continuously evaluate our political contributions to ensure that those we support share our values and goals," said Kim Keck, BlueCross BlueShield's president and CEO, in a statement. "In light of this week's violent, shocking assault on the United States Capitol, and the votes of some members of Congress to subvert the results of November's election by challenging Electoral College results, BCBSA will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy."

The health insurance company's BLUEPAC political action committee -- supported only by employee contributions — donated $246,750 to Republican lawmakers during the 2020 cycle. That included $10,000 to Sen. Tuberville, $1,000 to Sen. Marshall and $500 to Sen. Hawley.

BlueCross BlueShield said it's stopping donations to all Republicans who challenged the Electoral College results.

Commerce Bank: Commerce Bank said it, too, is halting its PAC contributions to officials it says "have impeded the peaceful transfer of power." The bank donated a total of $49,750 to Republicans during the 2020 cycle, which included $2,500 to Sen. Marshall.

"Commerce Bank condemns violence in any form and believes the actions witnessed this week are abhorrent, anti-democratic and entirely contrary to supporting goodwill for Americans and businesses.

Dow Chemical: Dow said in an emailed statement that it is immediately suspending all corporate and employee political action committee contributions to any member of Congress who voted to object to the certification of the presidential election.

Dow said its suspension will last for one election cycle — two years for House members and up to six years for Senators — which specifically includes donations to candidates' re-election committees and affiliated PACs.

Marriott: Marriott is following suit by suspending its PAC donations to lawmakers who opposed election results.

"We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election," the company said in a statement.

In an internal memo to employees on Friday, Citigroup said it would temporarily suspend all political giving from its PAC in the first quarter, referred to as the Citi PAC. The company also denounced candidates "who do not respect the rule of the law."

Suspending all donations

Some companies have opted to suspend donations to all politicians, regardless of whether or not they voted against upholding the Electoral College results.

Charles Schwab: Schwab is discontinuing its financial contributions from its PAC to all lawmakers for the remainder of the year.

"This pause will give the firm an opportunity to evaluate the best path forward to fulfill our long-standing commitment to advocate on behalf of individual investors and those who serve them," said the company in statement.

Citigroup: Citi noted that of the legislators who contested the electoral college vote certification, Citigroup's PAC had given $1,000 to Sen. Hawley in 2019.

"We intend to pause our contributions during the quarter as the country goes through the Presidential transition and hopefully emerges from these events stronger and more united," said Candi Wolff, managing director and head of global government affairs, in the memo.

Coca-Cola: The beverage company has "suspended political giving."

"We were all stunned by the unlawful and violent events that unfolded in our nation's capital on Jan. 6, and we are grateful that Democracy prevailed with the subsequent certification of the election results," the company said. "The current events will long be remembered and will factor into our future contribution decisions."

Facebook: Facebook said it will suspend all donations from its political action committee through the first quarter, in light of last week's Capitol violence.

"Following last week's awful violence in DC, we are pausing all of our PAC contributions for at least the current quarter, while we review our policies," Facebook spokesman Andy Stone told CNN in a statement.

JPMorgan: JPMorgan said it will pause all political donations from the bank's PAC for six months.

"The country is facing unprecedented health, economic and political crises," said Peter Scher, head of corporate responsibility for JPMorgan. "The focus of business leaders, political leaders, civic leaders right now should be on governing and getting help to those who desperately need it most right now. There will be plenty of time for campaigning later."

Visa: The credit card company has temporarily suspended all of its PAC contributions as it reviews its "candidate contribution guidelines."

Since the Capitol riots, a large number of companies and business leaders have come forward to condemn the violence that ensued in Washington, with some calling for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have banned President Trump from posting to his accounts for at least the remainder of his term in office -- or indefinitely. Twitter has permanently banned Trump from from its platform.

CNN's Alison Kosik contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City will terminate business contracts with President Donald Trump after last week's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

"New York City doesn't do business with insurrectionists," de Blasio tweeted Wednesday morning.

The Trump Organization is under city contract to operate the two ice rinks and a carousel in Central Park and a golf course in the Bronx.

According to de Blasio, the City is looking to terminate contracts with the Wollman and Lasker skating rinks at Central Park and the Ferry Point Golf Course.

De Blasio says the Trump Organization profits about $17 million a year from those sites.

“The President incited a rebellion against the United States government that killed five people and threatened to derail the constitutional transfer of power," de Blasio said in a press release. "The City of New York will not be associated with those unforgivable acts in any shape, way, or form, and we are immediately taking steps to terminate all Trump Organization contracts."

According to the press release, the carousel is currently closed, and termination of that contract would go into effect 25 days after the City's termination notice is received.

The City would terminate the agreement for the two ice rinks in Central Park after 30 days' written notice, de Blasio stated in the media release.

The mayor added that process for terminating the contract for the golf course is more detailed “and is expected to take a number of months.”

According to de Blasio, a contract can legally be terminated by the City if a company's leadership is engaged in criminal activity, The Associated Press reported.

A Trump Organization spokesperson said the City can't cancel the contracts and the company will "fight vigorously."

It is the latest example of how the Jan. 6 breach by violent Trump supporters is impacting the Republican president's business interests.

On Sunday, the PGA announced that they are moving the PGA Championship from Trump's golf course in New Jersey next year.

Germany's biggest bank, Deutsche Bank, decided not to do business with Trump and his company, to who he owes more than $300 million, which is set to be due in the next coming years.

Signature Bank in New York said they are closing two personal accounts.

WASHINGTON —

In a whirlwind defense, Donald Trump's impeachment attorneys aired a litany of grievances Friday, arguing the former president bore no responsibility for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol while accusing Democrats of “hatred” and “hypocrisy.”

The defense team, which wrapped up its arguments in just over three hours, said Trump was engaged in “constitutionally protected speech” when he spoke at a rally that immediately preceded the violence on Jan. 6 that left five dead.

Echoing themes often heard in conservative media, they called the impeachment trial a “witch hunt” and accused Democrats of elevating a destructive “cancel culture” to the halls of Congress. They also suggested Democrats were hypocrites for impeaching Trump after some had previously voiced support for racial justice marches last summer, some of which turned violent.

“It has become very clear that House Democrats hate Donald Trump,” said Michael van der Veen, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney who is part of Trump's defense team. “Hatred is at the heart.”

Here are some highlights from Friday's impeachment proceedings:

___

FIRST AMENDMENT

Regardless of what occurred after Trump's Jan. 6 speech, the former president was simply exercising his First Amendment right to free speech and can't be found at fault, his attorneys argued.

"The Senate cannot ignore the First Amendment," said van der Veen.

Nearly 150 constitutional scholars disagree. In a letter signed last week they wrote that “the First Amendment does not apply in impeachment proceedings, so it cannot provide a defense for President Trump."

The First Amendment has long been invoked as a powerful and compelling defense in court. But impeachment proceedings are an inherently political process that exists outside the U.S. court system in which senators sit as jurors.

Further, just because speech is protected by the Constitution doesn't mean that there aren't limits. Threats to commit a crime or “fighting words” that are likely to incite violence can be exceptions to protected speech.

___

ANGRY OUTBURSTS

Tempers flared during a question and answer session as impeachment proceedings stretched into the evening.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, tried to pressure Trump’s attorneys to say whether the former president had lost the election – a reality Trump himself has refused to acknowledge.

“Are the prosecutors right when they claim that Trump was telling a big lie or in your judgment, did Trump actually win the election?” Sanders asked in a written inquiry.

van der Veen bristled and inquired who had asked. Sanders responded, “I did.” van der Veen retorted: “irrelevant.”

“No, it isn't!” Sanders angrily shot back from his desk, adding: “You represent the president of the United States!”

He scoffed audibly when van der Veen avoided answering the question.

Separately, van der Veen at one point complained that the impeachment trial was his “worst experience in Washington.”

“You should have been here on Jan. 6,” lead prosecutor Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., dryly noted.

___

INSURRECTION OR NOT?

The articles of impeachment charge Trump with the “incitement of an insurrection,” a word that Webster's Dictionary defines as “an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government.”

Trump's lawyers say that's not technically correct. And they offered some alternative facts to make their point.

“'Insurrection' is a term of art," said attorney Bruce Castor, and it "involves taking over a country” or “a shadow government taking the TV stations over and having some plan on what you’re going to do when you finally take power.”

“Clearly this is not that,” he added.

In any event, Trump still wasn't responsible for what happened after his speech, Castor said.

Trump's speech, in which he urged his supporters to “fight like hell,“ was actual a call for the "peaceful exercise of every American’s First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and petition their government for redress of grievances,” according to Castor.

And he suggested that Trump wasn't literally calling on his supporters to "fight," but rather get involved in the political process, like supporting primary challengers of elected officials they did not like.

Many of Trump's supporters who participated in the attack found far different meaning in the former president's words on Jan. 6.

They have said in media interviews, videos taken at the scene and in statements to law enforcement that they were acting on Trump's orders and aimed to overturn the outcome of the election by stopping Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory — the definition of an insurrection.

___

FIGHTING

Donald Trump’s defense team attempted to undermine a key Democratic argument: that the former president incited the attack on the Capitol by urging his supporters to "fight like hell" and “go by very different rules” or they “wouldn’t have a country anymore.”

To do so, they played a lengthy montage of video clips during Friday's proceedings, which featured President Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats repeatedly uttering the word "fight" during public speeches.

“There is a fight in front of us,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in one clip from November 2019. Another showed Biden talking about taking Trump “behind the gym” to “beat the hell out of him,” like in high school.

The use of the words “fight” or “fighting” is exceedingly common in political speech. The effort by Trump’s legal team amounted amounted to an effort to muddy the waters by drawing an equivalence and ignoring his false claims about voter fraud.

Trump used the word "fight" while trying to undermine the outcome of a free and fair election that he lost. And his use of the word on Jan. 6 came after weeks of baselessly claiming the election was being stolen from him.

There was no widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by election officials across the country and former Attorney General William Barr. Dozens of legal challenges to the election put forth by Trump and his allies were dismissed.

Still, Trump's lawyers said they were making a valid point by highlighting Democrats' use of the word "fight."

“This is not whataboutism," said Michael van der Veen. "I am showing you this to make the point that all political speech must be protected.”

___

DEMOCRATS REACT

Senate Democrats seemed mostly amused by the defense's video of prominent party leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, repeatedly saying the word “fight.”

Though initially stone-faced and impassionate, as the minutes ticked by some reacted, particularly after their own turn on the screen.

Some giggled, others gasped. Some raised their hands or shrugged.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rolled her eyes. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts fidgeted with a pen during a lengthy section devoted to her. But Sanders, of Vermont, was visibly annoyed.

It “feels like they are erecting straw men to then take them down rather deal with the fact the events (on Jan. 6) happened," said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Donald Trump's legal team thoroughly distorted his remarks from the rally that prefaced the storming of the Capitol last month, seizing on the one instance when Trump spoke of peaceful protest in his “fight like hell” tirade of anger and grievance.

Trump attorney Michael van der Veen accused House Democratic impeachment managers of showing selectively edited scenes of the violence and Trump's words Jan. 6.

Yet he ignored the incendiary substance and tenor of that staging speech as well as the president's words of affection for the attackers later, while they were still hunting for lawmakers and sacking their offices. He ignored the fact, too, that all of Trump's provocations that day and for weeks beforehand had the lie of a stolen election at their core.

Another Trump lawyer, Bruce Castor, denied that the siege was an insurrection, saying that's a “term of art” not merited by the events of that day. Actually it's a term of dictionaries and legal texts, and what happened Jan. 6 was an insurrection.

A look at rhetoric from the Senate impeachment trial, where Trump is charged with inciting the siege of the Capitol before Congress affirmed his defeat to Joe Biden in the presidential election:

VAN DER VEEN: “No thinking person could seriously believe that the president's Jan. 6 speech on the Ellipse was in any way an incitement to violence or insurrection. ... Nothing in the text could ever be construed as encouraging, condoning or enticing unlawful activity of any kind. Far from promoting insurrection against the United States, the president's remarks explicitly encouraged those in attendance to exercise their rights peacefully and patriotically.”

THE FACTS: This characterization does not resemble Trump's speech. For more than an hour, Trump made the case that he and his supporters at the rally had been “cheated” and “defrauded” in the “rigged” election by a “criminal enterprise” made up of some of the “weak” legislators the insurrectionists were about to confront.

As for Trump “explicitly” encouraging non-violence, as the lawyer put it, the president's sole gesture in the speech was this passing remark, lost in the winds of that day's rage: “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

There were no other approximate appeals for calm, order or respect for the institutions that Trump assailed in the speech as a “swamp.”

“That was the one time, the only time, President Trump used the word ‘peaceful’ or any suggestion of non-violence," Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, one of the Democratic impeachment managers, said during the trial. "President Trump used the word ‘fight’ or ‘fighting’ 20 times.”

Her count is correct. In addition, Trump thanked supporters when they chanted: “Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!”

To be sure, not all of Trump's “fighting” words were about the march to the Capitol. Some were about the political struggle to reverse a fair and certified election that he lost or about his other struggles in Washington.

But he sent his followers off to the Capitol with these words: “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore."

This, after his lawyer Rudy Giuliani had told the crowd: “Let’s have trial by combat.”

This, after Trump had summoned his followers to Washington in the first place with the promise: “Be there, will be wild!”

At the rally, Trump roused his followers with words such as these:

—"Let the weak ones get out. This is a time for strength." This was in reference to Republicans in Congress who weren't going along with his effort to subvert the election.

—"You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.” That was to the marchers specifically.

—“When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules." Despite this remark, van der Veen argued Friday that the “entire premise” of Trump's rally speech was that the democratic process should “play out according to the letter of the law.”

—"You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we can’t let that happen." A reference to Biden's ascendance to the presidency if he wasn't stopped.

—"We are going to the Capitol," Trump told his followers, to “try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country. So let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue." Actually, he didn't go with them.

For all of that, his attorney Friday contended that Trump had “devoted nearly his entire speech to an extended discussion” of the voting process.

During the melee that ensued, Trump made a video telling the attackers it was time to “go home.” Only when the violence was underway did he stress the need for “law and order” and “peace.” But he added: “We love you. You're very special people.” Others are “so bad and evil.”

He followed later with a tweet that expressed no concern with the deadly consequences of the siege. He appeared to see justice in what had transpired.

“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long,” he wrote. “Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”

___

CASTOR: “Clearly, there was no insurrection. Insurrection is a term of art, defined in the law, involves taking over a country ... a shadow government taking the TV stations over and having some plan on what you’re going to do when you finally take power.”

THE FACTS: It was a textbook insurrection.

As “defined in the law,” an insurrection is “the act or an instance of revolting esp. violently against civil or political authority or against an established government,” according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law.

Under the U.S. Code, the crime of insurrection is committed by “Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto.”

Apart from the law and legal texts, insurrection is defined by Webster’s New World College Dictionary, which is used by The Associated Press, as “a rising up against established authority; rebellion; revolt.”

On Jan. 6, attackers rose up physically and violently against the established authorities — Congress, as it was carrying out its constitutional duties surrounded and protected by U.S. government staff and police. Many in the siege were intent on stopping Congress from affirming Trump’s defeat.

An insurrection is commonly understood to mean a short-lived revolt that fails, as this one did. Castor may have been conflating an insurrection with a coup d’etat, which suggests a more organized and advanced effort to seize power, perhaps involving a shadow government ready to take over. Jan. 6 was not that.

The former acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia says he expects some of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 will face sedition charges and confirmed that investigators are investigating whether former President Donald Trump could be “culpable” for some of the actions that took place that day.

Michael Sherwin, who left his post as U.S. attorney last week for a position at the Justice Department, provided insight into the criminal case against those involved in the Capitol riots during an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on CBS Sunday night.

Sherwin noted that about 400 people currently face charges linked to the Jan. 6 riot. He said that anywhere from 80% to 90% of those cases involved individuals who face trespassing charges inside and outside of the Capitol. He noted that about 10% of cases were what he called “conspiracy cases” — most of whom were part of far-right groups like the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and Proud Boys who planned ahead and knowingly breached the building.

As of now, the most significant charge rioters face is obstruction, which Sherwin noted could net a 20-year prison sentence. When asked if any of the rioters could face serious sedition charges — an attempted overthrow of the government — Sherwin said it’s possible.

“I personally believe the evidence is trending towards that, and probably meets those elements,” Sherwin told CBS News’ Scott Pelley. “…I believe the facts do support those charges. And I think that, as we go forward, more facts will support that, Scott.

Pelley also asked Sherwin if his team was investigating Trump’s role in the riots, to which Sherwin said "we have people looking at everything."

“It's unequivocal that Trump was the magnet that brought the people to D.C. on the 6th," Sherwin said. “Now the question is, is he criminally culpable for everything that happened during the siege, during the breach?”

Sherwin noted that while some of the rioters said directly that they were in the Capitol building on Jan. 6 because Trump told them to be there, some militia members noted that they were taking actions because the president is “just all talk. We did what he wouldn’t do.”

Trump delivered an address on the national mall just hours before rioters breached the Capitol building. During that address, he told his supporters to march down to the Capitol and later told them to “fight like hell,” but also said during that same speech that protests should remain peaceful.

Trump was impeached on charges that he incited the Jan. 6 riots — the second time he had been impeached during his four years in office. Fifty-seven senators, including seven Republicans, voted to impeach, well short of the 67 needed to convict.

President Donald Trump will join members of the White House’s coronavirus task force for a daily news conference as the House of Representatives a debate a bill to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program.

The White House said Thursday’s news briefing will begin at 5:45 p.m. ET.

Last week, the Paycheck Protection Program, which is intended to assist small businesses with making payroll to offset the economic impact of COVID-19, ran out of funding. As it ran out of money, it was discovered that some larger business and organizations, such as Shake Shack , Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Harvard University, were among those that received funds.

Shake Shake said earlier this week that it was unclear on the guidance on who was eligible for the funds. The burger chain announced that it would return its share of funding, and on Thursday, Ruth's Chris announced it would return $20 million.

Also, Trump said other large companies would need to pay back the money they received, and that the White House and Treasury Department would add additional guidance for a second round of funding.

The bill would add $321 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, with at least $60 billion of the PPP subsidy to guarantee loans made by smaller depository institutions, credit unions, and community financial institutions.

Another section of the bill provide would $75 billion in funding to reimburse health care providers for expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to the novel coronavirus. It also would provide $25 billion to develop, purchase, administer, process, and analyze tests for COVID-19.

The bill would provide $62 billion for salaries and expenses and for loan programs of the Small Business Administration. That amount includes $10 billion for economic injury disaster loans.

In her hands, Tobie Whitman carries her pride and joy, as well as her livelihood.

“We source everything from as nearby as possible,” motioning to the bouquet in her hands.

The florist owns

Little Acre Flowers

in Washington, D.C., a small business with six employees.

Lately, business has been tough.

“I'd say about a month ago some of our event clients, who were planning weddings or bar mitzvahs, began to reach out to us and say that they were thinking about possibly having to change their plans,” Whitman said. “And that's when we thought to ourselves, ‘Oh wow, this is really going to be a big deal for our business.’”

And it has been a big deal.

Their flower orders for events –-gone. That side of the business is down 100 percent. The shop is surviving on a small number of daily flower deliveries and something else.

“We're dipping into the savings that we have to keep people on board,” Whitman said.

The federal government recently passed the $2 trillion “

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

,” better known as the

CARES Act

. In it, it provides more than $349 billion for small businesses in the “Paycheck Protection Program.” It’s designed to help small businesses hold on to their employees.

“Billions of dollars in small business loans have already been processed through Paycheck Protection Programs,” President Donald Trump said on April 5. “So, we went out on Friday and, literally, it’s become so popular. It’s been worked with the banks. They get it to the small business.”

However, it hasn’t worked quite as smoothly as that.

Banks report a confusing lending program process, which is limiting their ability to get those emergency loans out to small businesses.

Wells Fargo announced it would no longer be accepting any more new applications, because the bank already reached the program’s $10 billion loan maximum. That prompted the Federal Reserve to announce it would now allow the bank to go beyond that amount.

On top of that, the Small Business Administration’s computer servers crashed, as banks attempted to submit those loan applications.

Back at Little Acre Flowers, Whitman said they plan to apply for the federal loan, but in the meantime, also applied for a small business grant from the city to help stay afloat.

"We're small business,” she said. “We're like a family."

All part of an effort to keep the door to Little Acre Flowers open for as long as possible – like so many other small businesses are trying to do.

CDC Director Robert Redfield announced on Wednesday that the CDC has new guidance for essential workers, eliminating previous guidance that called on workers to isolate for 14 days if they were exposed to someone with COVID-19.

The new guidance could allow many in essential fields of work, including healthcare, policing, and food supply, to continue working even if they have have come in contact with someone with COVID-19.

The goal is to get people back to work in critical fields sooner.

“One of the most important things we can do is keep our critical workforce working,” Redfield said

Here is the new guidance:

• Pre-Screen: Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and assess symptoms prior to them starting work. Ideally, temperature checks should happen before the individual enters the facility.
• Regular Monitoring: As long as the employee doesn’t have a temperature or symptoms, they should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.
• Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue facemasks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages.
• Social Distance: The employee should maintain 6 feet and practice social distancing as work duties permit in the workplace.
• Disinfect and Clean work spaces: Clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely.

"A potential exposure means being a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19," the CDC said. "The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic."

Earlier on Wednesday, Dr. Deborah Birx explained why the White House and CDC considered the change.

“It looks at degree of exposure and really making it clear that exposure occurs within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes, so really understanding where you shouldn’t be within 6 feet of people right now," Birx told. "But if you’re in a work situation where you have to be, there will be a series of recommendations that if you had had a significant exposure of what specifically to do, and if you’ve had a less exposure what to do.”

Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.

Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs

or on

Facebook

.

As President Donald Trump met with leaders from major sports leagues on Saturday that have been largely shuttered to help stop the spread of COVID-19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he does not anticipate that football stadiums in his state will be filled with fans come the start of fall.

This comes as current recommendations from the CDC call for gatherings of 10 or more to be curtailed into May. Newsom's comments stood in stark contrast from Trump, who said stadiums and arenas would reopen "sooner rather than later."

"I’m not anticipating that happening in this state," Newsom said when asked if stadiums will be filled with fans in August and September. "We have all seen the headlines the last couple of days in Asia where they were opening certain businesses and now they're starting to roll back those openings because they are starting to see some spread as a boomerang. One has to be very cautious here, one has to be careful not to over promise."

Newsom said he isn't making a decision that far out, but added he'll be guided by facts and health experts.

Meanwhile,Trump met with the leaders from the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, WWE, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, UFC, WNBA, IndyCar and Breeders Cup.

"These are all the great leaders of sport, and they want to get back," Trump said on Saturday. "They got to get back. They can't do this. Their sports weren't designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn't designed for it. We're going to have to get back We want to get back soon, very soon."

According to a White House spokesperson, Trump recognized the good work being done by many teams and players to care for their communities, workforces, and fan bases across the nation.

The spokesperson said the commissioners thanked Trump for his leadership and for his interest in the sports industry.

Around the middle of March, most of the aforementioned leagues decided to shutter operations amid the spread of the coronavirus. On March 11, the NCAA announced that it would play NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament games without fans. But the dominoes quickly fell after that.

Later that night, Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 moments before tipoff in an NBA game between the Jazz and Thunder. That game was postponed and later that night, the NBA announced it was suspending play.

The next day, the NHL and MLB suspended play, and the NCAA canceled its remaining championships for the 2019-20 academic year.

While most leagues have suspended operations, the WWE has continued operations by conducting wrestling matches in front of no fans. WWE's signature annual event WrestleMania will air this weekend. Rather than being aired live before a packed stadium, WrestleMania was prerecorded in front of no spectators.