1 America Shuts Down
Flanked by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, President Trump issued some new guidelines yesterday as we cope with the spread of COVID-19. Among other things? The administration is recommending that people avoid gatherings of more than 10 people for at least the next two weeks. And a number of states are listening – closing any number of businesses. During the briefing, Trump said everyone has a critical role to play in stopping the transmission of the coronavirus. And he’s not trying to calm any nerves about the duration of the changes to our lives. Trump warned that it could be July, August or later before the crisis is abated in the U.S. Trump also urged older citizens to stay home and keep away from other people. The President argued that everyone was surprised about how fast it happened. And when asked how he’d rate his administration’s handling of the crisis, he said he’d rate it "a 10." He also noted that no prior administration did what his administration is doing in responding to a public health crisis.
2 Trump Asks Americans To 'Band Together'
President Trump is trying to rally the country during the coronavirus outbreak. Trump has taken to Twitter asking all Americans to "band together and support your neighbors by not hoarding unnecessary amounts of food and essentials." He added the U.S. will "stay STRONG and overcome this challenge." Trump's tweets come as some struggle to find toilet paper and other household needs. In another tweet, Trump said he was confident supply would meet demand nationwide. This echoes remarks he made earlier this week. “You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said at a news conference. “Take it easy. Just relax.” To that end, Trump is assuring Americans (after speaking with leading grocery chain executives) that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remains healthy.
3 Coronavirus Selloff Slams Wall Street, Dow Drops Nearly 3,000
It was another brutal day on Wall Street as the coronavirus sell-off continues. “How bad was it?” The worst day in more than three decades. To review, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2,997 points to close at 20-188 as stocks fell sharply despite an emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Trading was halted for 15 minutes at the open after the S&P 500 dropped seven percent. The S&P lost 324 points to finish at 23-86. The Nasdaq slid 970 points to end the session at 69-04. There is some good news on the economic front – Amazon is hiring for 100-thousand full-time and part-time jobs as demand in online skyrockets. The company has been out of stock on some key items lately and deliveries are taking longer than usual. Amazon will also bump pay by two-bucks to 15 dollars an hour through April.