Washington correspondent Ben Wermund walks Ferrill through a story that highlights another unpredictable chapter in pandemic coverage from the nation's capital. The gist: The federal government had been planning to end support for some coronavirus testing sites — including sites in Houston and Harris County — in late April. The deadline most recently was extended to June 30.  President Trump "jokes" that he asked his people to slow down testing because it reflects negatively on the country.  As the June 30 deadline approaches and hospitalizations surge, city and county officials, members of Congress and eventually senators Cornyn and Cruz push back on the closing plan, asking for another extension of federal support. Frustrated with testing site coverage, a top HHS spokesman, during a press call with seventy-five reporters, demands that reporters ask their sources — doctors, city and county leaders, public health officials, congressmen and senators — why the sources are "working to undermine the public health system in the middle of a pandemic?"

Read: ‘Risk that is not worth taking.’ Sens. Cornyn, Cruz urge feds to keep supporting COVID test sites

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