ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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March 20, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

Fed slashes interest rates to zero in massive intervention (Washington Post)

The Fed took the most dramatic steps since the 2008 financial crisis to bolster the U.S. economy in the face of the coronavirus.

Trump says anti-malarial treatment will soon be available to coronavirus patients (CNN)

President Trump says he’s pushed the Food and Drug Administration to eliminate barriers to getting therapeutics for coronavirus to patients. He said a drug currently used as an antimalarial — hydroxychloroquine — would be made available almost immediately to treat coronavirus.

Visits halted in fed prisons, immigration centers over virus (AP)

Inmates at all 122 federal correctional facilities across the country will no longer be allowed visits from family, friends or attorneys for the next 30 days, in response to the threat of the coronavirus, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ben McAdams become first members of Congress to test positive for coronavirus (CNN)

Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ben McAdams have become the first members of Congress to test positive for coronavirus, a grim new indicator of the virus' aggressive spread.

Shocking photos emerge from airports of long and crowded lines for coronavirus testing: ‘A social distancing nightmare’ (RawStory)

Social media users shared photos of long lines at international airports as new COVID-19 coronavirus tests went into effect. Here are some of the images from major airports in America:

TSA Screeners Begin Staying Home En Masse After Agency Loosens Leave Rules (Govt. Executive)

Hundreds of frontline screeners at the Transportation Security Administration are opting to skip work over fear of contracting the novel coronavirus, sparking concerns among some agency leaders of staffing shortfalls. 

Minnesota and Vermont just classified grocery clerks as emergency workers (Mother Jones)

As the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic closes schools across the country, more and more parents are juggling working from home with caring full-time for their children. But working from home isn’t possible for emergency personnel like paramedics, nurses, and public health workers who are on the front lines of the fight against the virus. Some states and cities are providing child care for emergency workers so they can do their jobs.

The companies that feed America brace for labor shortages and worry about restocking stores as coronavirus pandemic intensifies (Washington Post)

The companies that feed America and provide basic staples are bracing for labor shortages as the novel coronavirus pandemic intensifies, which could leave them without enough workers to manufacture, deliver and unpack groceries in stores in the coming months… Already, some chains are rationing products as shelves empty out of pasta, rice and frozen vegetables and anxious customers wait in long lines for toilet paper and bottled water — in scenes similar to those seen before a hurricane, yet this time unfolding on a national scale.

Congresswoman Katie Porter secures free coronavirus testing for all Americans (Guardian)

The US representative Katie Porter has secured free coronavirus testing for all Americans after presenting compelling evidence in the US House of Representatives on Thursday. According to her calculations, coronavirus testing would cost a citizen a minimum of $1,331. She pressed a member of the administration to commit to making all testing immediately free and he conceded.

Democrat Biden tacks left, backs Warren bankruptcy plan with student loan relief(Reuters)

 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has endorsed former rival Elizabeth Warren’s plan to reform consumer bankruptcy laws including allowing relief of student loan debt, incorporating proposals by the party’s progressive wing into the moderate frontrunner’s campaign.

Trump Food-Stamp Cuts Blocked by Judge Who Cites Pandemic (Bloomberg News)



A federal judge in Washington put off much of the Trump administration’s effort to make it harder for poor Americans to get food assistance, in a blistering ruling that not only criticized the White House but chided other courts for having too often “rolled over” to the president’s demands.

Supreme Court, for first time since 1918, suspends oral arguments (USA Today)

The Supreme Court announced Monday it is postponing oral arguments scheduled for later this month due to the coronavirus, something it has not done in more than 100 years…The justices had several major cases scheduled for oral argument in March. Tops on the list were battles over subpoenas for President Donald Trump's tax returns and financial records from congressional committees and New York prosecutors. Trump's lawyers want the documents to remain shielded.

Coronavirus: Universal to make current theatrical movies available for home viewing on Friday (Los Angeles Times)

Universal Pictures, in a bold move to confront the coronavirus’ threat to the movie industry, is collapsing the theatrical window.

Progressives debate Sanders’ future (The Hill)

Progressives are debating what should come next for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose once-promising second presidential bid has been all but snuffed out by former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders is publicly giving the appearance of winding down his campaign after a string of blowout losses that has pushed Biden to a near-insurmountable lead in delegates.

WORLD

U.S.-Canada border closing to ‘non-essential traffic’ amid coronavirus outbreak (Washington Post)

The United States and Canada have agreed to close their 5,500-mile border to “all nonessential travel” as the deadly coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. The news comes as countries around the world adopt increasingly strict quarantine measures, and experts are warning that life worldwide will be severely disrupted for many months.

Economic relief on the way in U.S., Europe; China reports no new local coronavirus infections (Washington Post)

As coronavirus quarantines and lockdowns force much of the United States and Europe to hunker down and workers face pay disruptions, policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic took dramatic new steps to try to reassure worried households and investors.

Spain goes under lockdown to fight coronavirus  (Reuters)

Spain put its 47 million inhabitants under partial lockdown on Saturday as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the coronavirus epidemic in Europe’s second worst-affected country by the disease after Italy.

France closes shops, restaurants, tells people to stay home (Reuters)

 France will shut shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from Sunday with its 67 million people told to stay home to help fight the rapid acceleration of the coronavirus in a country where the number of cases has doubled in 72 hours.

Denmark shuts its borders for one month to curb spread of coronavirus (Reuters)



Denmark announced on Friday it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday, in a move unprecedented in peacetime as part of efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Poland to close borders to foreigners from Sunday (Reuters)



Poland will ban foreigners from entering the country from Sunday and impose a 14-day quarantine on its citizens returning home in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin just got one step closer to being president for life (VOX)

His term in office was supposed to end in 2024. New changes would let him stay in power until 2036.

EU to introduce waste reduction targets, new sustainable products law (Reuters)

 The European Commission said on Wednesday it will introduce new waste reduction targets and sustainability laws to ensure that products placed on the EU market are recyclable, repairable and designed to last longer, its latest plan to halve waste by 2030…Under the new plan, the Commission will present new legislation to ban the destruction of unsold durable goods, and restrict products’ single-use and premature obsolescence, particularly targeting electronic devices.

Monaco’s head of state Prince Albert contracts new virus (AP)

The palace of Monaco says its ruler, Prince Albert II, has tested positive for the new coronavirus but his health is not worrying.…Albert is the second child of Princess Grace — formerly Grace Kelly — and Prince Rainier of Monaco.



 


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