Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
Ten People Max, Primaries Postponed & St. Patrick’s Day
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want perusing the latest happenings...
Coronavirus Crackdown
There's been a noticeable shift in the world as people work together to stop the spread of COVID-19. In the San Francisco area, nearly seven million people were told to go home and stay there for 3 weeks if they aren’t providing essential services. In Pennsylvania, the governor ordered all businesses shut down, with only a few exceptions, like grocery stories, pharmacies and doctors’ offices. Nationwide, the Trump Administration issued new guidelines, saying everyone should avoid gatherings with 10 or more people. The National Guard has been deployed in at least 15 states so far to help.
Bay Area Lockdown: SF Chronicle, SF Gate
PA Businesses Shut Down: WTXF, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Trump’s New Guidance: WhiteHouse.gov, CBS News, USA Today
U.S. Cases: NBC News, Johns Hopkins, NYT, ScienceMag
National Guard Mobilized: Business Insider
Coronavirus Economic Fallout
President Trump acknowledged we could be headed toward a recession. Then, he insisted the markets would take care of themselves after we get rid of the virus. On Wall Street, the Dow slid 3,000 points yesterday, the worst day since the “Black Monday” crash of 1987. It’s not just the markets. About 82 million people in the U.S. are hourly employees and many aren’t getting paid while their employers are shut down. Meanwhile, U.S. airlines are asking for a bailout to the tune of nearly $60 billion. Key lawmakers have reportedly already discussed it, but those discussions are still in early stages.
Read More: AP, WaPo, Politico, CNN, CNBC
Coronavirus: International Impact
France became the third European country to impose a nationwide lockdown. People there will only be able to leave their houses for essential reasons starting today and for the next 2 weeks. Similar restrictions are already in place in Italy and Spain. Also, Canada is closing its borders to nearly all foreigners. Besides Canadian citizens, only Americans will be allowed in.
More European Countries on Lockdown: Al Jazeera, CNN
Canada Closing Border: Bloomberg, BBC
Presidential Race Updates
Three states are holding primaries today. Democrats are set to pick the candidate they want to take on President Trump in November. That’s Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Ohio was supposed to be on the list, but the governor called it off just hours before polls were supposed to open, citing the need to fight the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, results are finally in from last week’s primary in Washington. Vice President Joe Biden won, giving him victories in 5 out of the 6 states that voted last week.
Tuesday Primaries: WaPo, Fox News
Biden wins Washington: AP, The Hill
Supreme Court Postpones Arguments
U.S. Supreme Court justices have postponed oral arguments. That hasn’t happened since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Still, justices will likely still debate key cases behind closed doors, and they might release their opinions. For now, it’s not clear when the high court will return to normal business.
Read More: NBC News, CNN
Fake Texts & Misinformation Crackdown
Text messages are making the rounds with fake information about coronavirus. The last 2 days, Americans got texts saying, “Martial law is coming,” or some variation of that same message. That’s not true. At this point, it’s not clear where the text messages are coming from, but the largest tech giants are teaming up to fight information like that. Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Reddit and Twitter announced they’re working together to provide only accurate information about COVID-19.
Read More: NBC News, Bloomberg
Amazon Hiring
Amazon says it needs to hire 100,000 people to keep up with demand. During the coronavirus pandemic, more people are turning to Amazon as a way to buy necessities while avoiding public spaces. So the company needs warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
Read More: TechCrunch, WSJ, CNBC
Coronavirus in Sports & Entertainment
The star of “Luther,” Idris Elba, tested positive for COVID-19. He doesn’t have any symptoms but is isolating at home anyway. Other actors, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, are on the mend. They were just released from an Australian hospital. They tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Now, they’re isolating at their Queensland house. Meanwhile, more sporting events are postponed. The MLB announced its delaying baseball season by 8 weeks. NASCAR pushed back all races until at least May. The Kentucky Derby will be delayed from May 2 to September 5.
Celebrities with COVID-19: LA Times, NBC News
Sporting Events Postponed: CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NYT
Recently-Released Movies Streaming
Several new movies will be released on streaming platforms this week. Universal Studios will make The Invisible Man, The Hunt, and Emma available for rent this Friday. This is unique because the movies are still in theaters. You’ll also soon be able to rent the movie Trolls World Tour, even though it hasn’t been released yet. It’s coming out in theaters and online April 10.
Read More: The Verge, USA Today
St. Patrick’s Day
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. It’s usually celebrated with crowded parades and green beer, but this year will be quiet. Events across the country have been canceled, since organizers are following coronavirus guidelines from the federal government. Still, there are ways to celebrate Irish culture at home. You can find recipes and activities in the links below.
Read More: History, Insider, Fox News, Irish Recipes, Ways to Celebrate at Home