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| Donald Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus pandemic – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Declaring emergency allows easier flow of federal aid – follow for live updates | Declaring emergency allows easier flow of federal aid – follow for live updates |
| Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democratic senator in Congress, released a statement welcoming Trump’s invocation of the Stafford Act. His response, blasted out before Trump’s presser ended, is below: | |
| Trump’s national emergency declaration is already coming under heavy criticism, and not just because he was about 30 minutes late to deliver it. | |
| First of all, his decision to announce it by saying “national emergency, two very big words” hasn’t gone unnoticed. | |
| His delivery has also been questioned, as well as his strange aside on Google: | |
| And then there was his decision to shake hands with members of his team: | |
| There are still questions over Trump’s status at the moment, as he has recently came into contact with at least one person who has tested positive for coronavirus. | |
| Trump moved on to introducing representatives from partner organizations working with the White House to combat the Coronavirus. They include representatives from Walmart, Walgreens, LHC Group, Signify Health. | |
| Most of the business people gave brief remarks about how eager their respective companies are to help. | |
| Trump then said as part of the Coronavirus response “we’ll be changing a lot of the rules and regulations for future.” [SIC] | |
| “I guess that’ll continue to an extent but we hope it never happens but we’ll be changing a lot of the wholes and speculations,” Trump said. | |
| Trump added that “I’ve waived interest on all student loans held by government agencies.” | |
| The president said he instructed secretary of energy Dan Brouillette to buy “large quantities” of gasoline “in the US strategic reserve.” | |
| Dr. Deborah Birx took a few minutes to explain a new Coronavirus website for texting. She held up a chart to explain how the website would work (C-SPAN’s Craig Caplan snapped a picture). | |
| Trump in his remarks said that as part of the national emergency declaration, “the action I am taking will open up $50 billion.” | |
| Trump, flanked by aides including vice-president Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx, also said the move will waive a number of other requirements meant to benefit doctors and fight the Coronavirus pandemic. | |
| There’s been an ongoing concern about the availability of tests for the Coronavirus. Trump said his team expected “half a million additional tests will be available early next week.” | |
| “Which will bring probably 1.4 million tests next week and five million in a month,” Trump said. “Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus.” | |
| Donald Trump on Friday afternoon declared a national emergency to address the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. | |
| The declaration, made from the White House Rose Garden during a press conference, comes as the Trump administration grapples with the ongoing outbreak. | |
| Donald Trump is late to this press conference where he’s expected to declare a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| The tardiness is unlikely to allay ongoing tensions among the American public about the federal government’s plans for fighting the Coronavirus. | |
| Daniel Strauss taking over the blog here for a bit. | Daniel Strauss taking over the blog here for a bit. |
| Over in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster. The Dallas Morning News has more: | Over in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster. The Dallas Morning News has more: |
| Virginia closes schools amidst coronavirus concerns | Virginia closes schools amidst coronavirus concerns |
| Virginia governor Ralph Northam just announced that Virginia schools will be closed for a minimum of two weeks as the spread of Covid-19 continues in the area. | Virginia governor Ralph Northam just announced that Virginia schools will be closed for a minimum of two weeks as the spread of Covid-19 continues in the area. |
| The announcement means that all schools in the DMV area – Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia – will be closed for most of the month. | The announcement means that all schools in the DMV area – Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia – will be closed for most of the month. |
| Major US companies tell their employees to work from home | Major US companies tell their employees to work from home |
| Thousands of employees of major US companies have been instructed to work from home if they are able to given the spread of Covid-19. | Thousands of employees of major US companies have been instructed to work from home if they are able to given the spread of Covid-19. |
| Ford, General Motors and AT&T have all told their employees to work from home if possible. JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have instructed their staff in New York City to work from home as the number of cases in the New York City metro area rises. | Ford, General Motors and AT&T have all told their employees to work from home if possible. JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have instructed their staff in New York City to work from home as the number of cases in the New York City metro area rises. |
| Here’s more from the Guardian’s business editor Dominic Rushe on the effect coronavirus is having on employees and the economy: | Here’s more from the Guardian’s business editor Dominic Rushe on the effect coronavirus is having on employees and the economy: |
| Nancy Pelosi holds brief press conference on coronavirus aid package | Nancy Pelosi holds brief press conference on coronavirus aid package |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi just gave a short press conference – taking no questions from reports – detailing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that House Democrats are planning to pass today. | Speaker Nancy Pelosi just gave a short press conference – taking no questions from reports – detailing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that House Democrats are planning to pass today. |
| Pelosi said the bill’s main component is “testing, testing, testing’. “This legislation facilitates free testing for everyone who needs a test, including the insured,” she said. | Pelosi said the bill’s main component is “testing, testing, testing’. “This legislation facilitates free testing for everyone who needs a test, including the insured,” she said. |
| The speaker also said that federal sick leave and unemployment support was also a priority. | The speaker also said that federal sick leave and unemployment support was also a priority. |
| During the press conference, which only lasted a few minutes, Pelosi did not divulge any information on how talks with her Republican counterparts in the White House are going. | During the press conference, which only lasted a few minutes, Pelosi did not divulge any information on how talks with her Republican counterparts in the White House are going. |
| Trump is expected to speak in the Rose Garden at 3pm for his own press conference on the coronavirus outbreak. | Trump is expected to speak in the Rose Garden at 3pm for his own press conference on the coronavirus outbreak. |
| House majority leader says chamber will vote on coronavirus aid package today | House majority leader says chamber will vote on coronavirus aid package today |
| House Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer released a statement saying the House will put up the coronavirus aid package up for a vote regardless of whether they have the support of their Republican colleagues. | House Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer released a statement saying the House will put up the coronavirus aid package up for a vote regardless of whether they have the support of their Republican colleagues. |
| Hoyer said a vote will take place no earlier than 2:30, after Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a press conference on the bill at 2pm. We’ll be tuning in. | Hoyer said a vote will take place no earlier than 2:30, after Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a press conference on the bill at 2pm. We’ll be tuning in. |
| Delta airlines to reduce capacity to by 40% | Delta airlines to reduce capacity to by 40% |
| In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Delta just announced that it is reducing its capacity by 40% – the largest capacity reduction in the company’s history. | In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Delta just announced that it is reducing its capacity by 40% – the largest capacity reduction in the company’s history. |
| The company said it will eliminate all flights to Europe, with the exception of London, for the next 30 days with the possibility of extension. It will also be trying to cut down its workforce, offering voluntary, short-term unpaid leaves and will reduce the number of consultants and contractors it works with. | The company said it will eliminate all flights to Europe, with the exception of London, for the next 30 days with the possibility of extension. It will also be trying to cut down its workforce, offering voluntary, short-term unpaid leaves and will reduce the number of consultants and contractors it works with. |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to give a press conference in 15 minutes on a coronavirus aid package the House deliberated on this morning. | Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to give a press conference in 15 minutes on a coronavirus aid package the House deliberated on this morning. |
| What is a national emergency? | What is a national emergency? |
| Donald Trump, as president, has the power to declare a national emergency, which gives power to the federal government to more freely redistribute funds to state and local governments in a time of the crisis. | Donald Trump, as president, has the power to declare a national emergency, which gives power to the federal government to more freely redistribute funds to state and local governments in a time of the crisis. |
| The president is set to declare a national emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak under the Stafford Act, which was signed into law in 1988 and is designed to encourage local municipalities to design and run their own disaster mitigation efforts, with federal assistance. | The president is set to declare a national emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak under the Stafford Act, which was signed into law in 1988 and is designed to encourage local municipalities to design and run their own disaster mitigation efforts, with federal assistance. |
| The last time Trump declared a national emergency was in February 2019 when he declared a national emergency to divert funding for his border wall. That national emergency was declared under a different act, the 1976 National Emergencies Act. | The last time Trump declared a national emergency was in February 2019 when he declared a national emergency to divert funding for his border wall. That national emergency was declared under a different act, the 1976 National Emergencies Act. |
| The Guardian’s voting rights reporter Sam Levine: | The Guardian’s voting rights reporter Sam Levine: |
| Louisiana will postpone its April 4 presidential preference primary amid ongoing concern over coronavirus, Kyle Ardoin, the state’s top election official announced on Friday. | Louisiana will postpone its April 4 presidential preference primary amid ongoing concern over coronavirus, Kyle Ardoin, the state’s top election official announced on Friday. |
| The Democratic contest will be postponed until June 20. Ardoin is acting to the contest using a provision in state law that allows him to move an election in an emergency situation, according to the Advocate. Louisiana is the first state to postpone its primary election as the nation tries to contain the spread of the virus. | The Democratic contest will be postponed until June 20. Ardoin is acting to the contest using a provision in state law that allows him to move an election in an emergency situation, according to the Advocate. Louisiana is the first state to postpone its primary election as the nation tries to contain the spread of the virus. |
| Election officials in other states are rushing to implement last-minute changes to safeguard against the virus. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose this week ordered local election officials to relocate all polling stations from senior centers and assisted living facilities. Some election officials in Illinois and Florida are taking similar steps. | Election officials in other states are rushing to implement last-minute changes to safeguard against the virus. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose this week ordered local election officials to relocate all polling stations from senior centers and assisted living facilities. Some election officials in Illinois and Florida are taking similar steps. |
| Throughout the country, local election offices are taking extra sanitization steps, providing wipes and hand sanitizer at polling stations. | Throughout the country, local election offices are taking extra sanitization steps, providing wipes and hand sanitizer at polling stations. |
| More reports are suggesting that Donald Trump will be declaring a national emergency at a 3pm press conference today. | More reports are suggesting that Donald Trump will be declaring a national emergency at a 3pm press conference today. |
| Miami mayor tests positive for coronavirus | Miami mayor tests positive for coronavirus |
| The mayor of Miami, Florida Francis Suarez has tested positive for coronavirus, the Miami Herald is reporting. Suarez attended an event with a Brazilian government official earlier this week who has since tested positive with coronavirus. | The mayor of Miami, Florida Francis Suarez has tested positive for coronavirus, the Miami Herald is reporting. Suarez attended an event with a Brazilian government official earlier this week who has since tested positive with coronavirus. |
| Suarez announced earlier this week that he was not displaying any symptoms, but self-quarantined himself out of safety precaution once he learned that one of Bolsonaro’s staff members tested positive. | Suarez announced earlier this week that he was not displaying any symptoms, but self-quarantined himself out of safety precaution once he learned that one of Bolsonaro’s staff members tested positive. |
| Suarez was one of several politicians who interacted with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his staff, along with Donald Trump and his staff, when they came to Miami earlier this week. Earlier today, reports said Bolsonaro tested positive for coronavirus, but now other reports are saying the test came back negative. | Suarez was one of several politicians who interacted with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his staff, along with Donald Trump and his staff, when they came to Miami earlier this week. Earlier today, reports said Bolsonaro tested positive for coronavirus, but now other reports are saying the test came back negative. |