Evening summary A relatively quiet evening in US political news as we wrap up here. You can continue following our global coronavirus liveblog throughout the evening. The US has confirmed more than 1 million cases of coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The US now accounts for about a third of all coronavirus cases reported from around the world. Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at keeping meat plants open. The planned order comes as some plants have closed after workers tested positive for coronavirus, raising concerns about a meat shortage in the country. But experts expressed concern that the order could jeopardize the health of plant workers Dr. Anthony Fauci said he’s been “told” that everyone in the United States who needs a coronavirus test will be able to get one by the end of May. But many people, including Fauci himself, remain skeptical that testing can ramp up that quickly. Trump dodged a question about whether he received repeated warnings on the threat of coronavirus in his Presidential Daily Briefing. The Washington Post reported the PDB included warnings about the virus in January and February, even as the president publicly downplayed the seriousness of the health threat. Hillary Clinton officially endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. The endorsement is unsurprising, considering Biden has won the backing of nearly every other prominent Democrat, but it is still noteworthy after Biden considered challenging Clinton for the presidential nomination in 2016. Andrew Yang is suing New York’s state board of elections over the effective cancellation of its presidential primary, Politico reported. More than half of Democrats are concerned that not all eligible Americans will be able to cast a vote in the 2020 presidential elections, and that the election may not be fair, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. The vice president was criticized for not wearing a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic facilities in Minnesota, even though the clinic requires all visitors to cover their faces. Pence claimed he didn’t have to wear a mask because he’s regularly tested for the virus, but health experts have questioned that argument, noting the vice president could get a false negative result or contract the virus in between tests. Andrew Yang files lawsuit over cancelled NY Democratic primary Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the New York Board of Elections, which effectively cancelled the state’s June presidential primary, Politico reports. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Daily Show honors “heroes” who helped US reach 1 million cases Three US children with Covid-19 have rare inflammatory syndrome Three children infected with the coronavirus in the United States are being treated for a rare inflammatory syndrome that appears similar to one that has raised concerns by doctors in Britain, Italy and Spain, Reuters reports. All three children, who range in age from 6 months to 8 years, have undergone treatment at the same hospital in New York. Italian and British medical experts have already been investigating a possible link between the coronavirus pandemic and clusters of severe inflammatory disease among infants arriving in hospitals with high fevers and swollen arteries. The three New York cases follow a similar report involving a child with coronavirus at Stanford University in California. The pattern of this syndrome in children in some ways follows what is happening with some adult Covid-19 patients, who get very sick, begin to recover, and then have a secondary immune response, a pediatric rheumatologist and immunologist told Reuters. Trump said US could conduct 5m tests a day ‘very soon’. Really? At a White House event earlier today, Trump responded to a question about a Harvard study recommending that the United States be able to conduct 5m tests a day by saying that could happen “very soon”. A number of journalists, including CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, explained why that claim sounds unrealistic. Iranian scientist in Ice detention tests positive for Covid-19 An Iranian scientist who has been pleading for weeks to be released from a US immigration jail due to his fragile health has contracted Covid-19, according to his family and attorneys. Dr Sirous Asgari, a materials science and engineering professor who spoke out in March about the unsanitary and “inhumane” conditions in detention, was placed in an isolation cell this week inside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) jail in Louisiana. His lawyers learned on Tuesday that his Covid-19 test was positive. He and his family are calling for his release to a medical facility where he can receive proper care. But Ice told Asgari’s lawyers he would only be released to a hospital if he was struggling to breathe, his attorneys said. Bryan Cox, an Ice spokesman, said there were two confirmed Covid-19 cases at Winn but declined to answer specific questions about Asgari. “It makes sense to send me to the hospital as soon as possible. I don’t trust them at all,” Asgari said in a phone call with the Guardian on Tuesday, amid repeated coughing fits. Asgari’s story sparked international outrage after he spoke about his fears of Covid-19 spreading inside crowded Ice facilities with substandard cleaning practices and a lack of supplies. The professor, who has a history of respiratory problems, was exonerated in a US sanctions trial last year, but Ice has refused to release him or allow him to return to Iran. Iran’s foreign minister recently called for his release, as have some US lawmakers and human rights groups. Poll: 70% of Americans support allowing any voter to vote by mail A new Pew Research Center survey found that 70% of Americans are at least “somewhat” in favor of allowing any voter to vote by mail if they want to, as two-thirds say they believe that it’s likely that coronavirus will disrupt Americans’ ability to vote. Though Trump has pushed back against efforts to expand vote by mail during the Covid-19 crisis, claiming it would lead to voter fraud and a higher Democratic turnout, the policy still has strong overall support among voters. My colleague Sam Levine has a more in-depth look at the survey results, including the finding that less than half of Democrats are confident that November’s election will be fair and accurate. Another interesting finding: while there is a clear partisan divide on voting by mail, with about half of Republicans aligning with Trump in their opposition to the policy, Republican support or opposition to mail voting varies a great deal across different states. “In states where vote by mail is already widely used, nearly 70% of Republicans support expanding vote by mail,” Sam explained. “Even in states where mail-in voting is not widely used, 40% of Republicans support expanding it.” Aaron Blake at the Washington Post also highlighted this finding as an important survey finding. As Blake put it: “The [Republicans] with the most experience with this method are quite happy with it.” Fauci: I’m being “told” everyone can get a test by the end of May How soon will every American who needs a coronavirus test be able to get one? Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Dr. Anthony Fauci said this afternoon that he’s being told that testing will ramp up very soon, but that “I’m always the skeptic in the group,” referring to the White House’s coronavirus task force. Fauci said he is being “told” that tests will “hopefully” be widely available “as we get to the end of May and the beginning of June.” Is $1,200 enough? Trump administration considering another payment Lois Beckett here in San Francisco picking up this evening’s live political news coverage. For Americans worried about paying their bills, an update from the White House, which is “studying very carefully” the possibility of more direct cash support from the government. Speaking to reporters at the White House today, one of Trump’s economic advisers was asked if Americans need to receive something more than the one-time $1,200 individual stimulus checks to make it through the pandemic. “That’s something we’re studying very carefully,” Hassett said. Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The US has confirmed more than 1 million cases of coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The US now accounts for about a third of all coronavirus cases reported from around the world. Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at keeping meat plants open. The planned order comes as some plants have closed after workers tested positive for coronavirus, raising concerns about a meat shortage in the country. But experts expressed concern that the order could jeopardize the health of plant workers. Trump dodged a question about whether he received repeated warnings on the threat of coronavirus in his Presidential Daily Briefing. The Washington Post reported the PDB included warnings about the virus in January and February, even as the president publicly downplayed the seriousness of the health threat. Hillary Clinton officially endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. The endorsement is unsurprising, considering Biden has won the backing of nearly every other prominent Democrat, but it is still noteworthy after Biden considered challenging Clinton for the presidential nomination in 2016. The vice president was criticized for not wearing a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic facilities in Minnesota, even though the clinic requires all visitors to cover their faces. Pence claimed he didn’t have to wear a mask because he’s regularly tested for the virus, but health experts have questioned that argument, noting the vice president could get a false negative result or contract the virus in between tests. Lois will have more coming up, so stay tuned. Vice President Mike Pence defended his decision not to wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic facilities in Minnesota, even though the clinic requires all visitors to cover their faces. “As vice president of the United States, I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” Pence told reporters, according to a pool report. “And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you.” As the blog has previously noted, Pence could have contracted the virus in between tests, so the guidance on face coverings would almost certainly still apply to him. The coronavirus test is also not infallible, so it’s still possible he could be an asymptomatic carrier. And to reiterate, the Mayo Clinic requires all visitors to wear masks, so at a minimum, Pence was ignoring the requests of his hosts while visiting clinic employees and patients. Reporters who were traveling with Pence said he appeared to be the only one at the clinic not covering his face. Restrictions on access to the Capitol have been extended through May 16, according to a new statement from the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms. The statement said Capitol tours would be canceled until at least May 16, and access to the House and Senate office buildings will be limited to members, staffers, credentialed press and official business vistors. “We are taking this temporary action out of concern for the health and safety of congressional employees as well as the public,” the statement said. Access to the Capitol was first limited in early March, and it seems likely the restrictions will need to be extended again, considering the rising number of coronavirus cases in the Washington metropolitan area.