Friday News: “America Is On Hold”; “America Is Broken”; “A President Unequal to the Moment”; “MAGA Microbe Meltdown”; “Wall Street has its worst day since 1987 crash”; “‘Biden became president today’: Even Republicans are now deserting Trump over his coronavirus response”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, March 13.

• The Pitiful Oil Market the Saudis and Russia Are Fighting Over (“Demand is weak and now OPEC and its rivals are pumping at will.”)
• Italy’s Health Care System Groans Under Coronavirus — a Warning to the World
• While we self-isolate, it’s a good time to reflect on the urgency of the climate crisis
• Some countries have been successful in combating the coronavirus. The U.S. is not one of them.
• America’s shamefully slow coronavirus testing threatens all of us (“The US lags just about every developed country on testing for Covid-19 disease.”)
• Trump aides pound on China. Health experts say: Please stop. (“The coronavirus is deepening the rift between Beijing and Washington, at a time when cooperation is needed most.”)
• Australian Official Who Met Barr and Ivanka Trump Has Virus: Updates (“Peter Dutton, the minister for Home Affairs, met with Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump last week. New York City declared a state of emergency, and schools will close in at least six states. Follow updates here.”)
• Coronavirus pandemic reaches world leaders and disrupts global sporting events
• America Is Broken (“A pandemic is exposing the collapse of civic authority and public trust”)
• The Memo: Virus crisis upends political world
• Wall Street has its worst day since 1987 crash
• How the GOP’s War on Government Paved the Way for Trump’s Deadly Incompetence (“His coronavirus response has been a disaster long in the making.”)
• Trump met with Brazilian official who tested positive for coronavirus
• It’s a MAGA Microbe Meltdown (“Trump utterly fails to rise to his first real crisis.”)
• America Is On Hold: Americans face new norms as coronavirus outbreaks show no sign of slowing down
• Singapore Wins Praise For Its COVID-19 Strategy. The U.S. Does Not
• Trump’s Stock Market Now Worst Since Double-Recession George W. Bush (“The sudden collapse in shares underlines the communications challenge for Trump.”)
• House to Vote on Sweeping Economic Rescue Package (“The legislation would include enhanced unemployment benefits, free virus testing, aid for food assistance programs and federal funds for Medicaid.”)
• U.S. stock market suffers worst crash since 1987, as Americans wake up to a new normal of life
• Pelosi and Mnuchin fail to reach deal on coronavirus aid package
• The original sin in the U.S. response to coronavirus is lack of testing
• Fed to Inject $1.5 Trillion in Bid to Prevent ‘Unusual Disruptions’ in Markets
• Pregnant woman dies after falling from border wall, a sign of migrants’ desperation
• Coronavirus is the Trump catastrophe we’ve been terrified of
• Justin Trudeau’s wife tested positive for coronavirus
• Trump Voters Wanted to Blow up the System. Well, Here We Go.
• President Trump botched his own coronavirus address. He shouldn’t be on live TV.
• Trump’s Coronavirus Speech Sparks ‘Total Chaos’ in His Own Administration
• Ten minutes at the teleprompter: Inside Trump’s failed attempt to calm coronavirus fears
• The President as Bystander: Trump Struggles to Unify a Nation on Edge
• Inside the Oval Office, a Fierce Fight Over Trump’s Virus Speech
• Trump’s Coronavirus Speech Was a Cry for Help
• Republicans Think Basic Public Health Measures Are Part of a Radical Left-Wing Agenda (Insane.)
• Analysis: Trump’s Coronavirus Speech Fails to Unify or Reassure (“President Trump assailed Democrats hours after he implored lawmakers to ‘stop the partisanship.’ Then the markets cratered, unmoved by his economic proposals.”)
• White House Knew Coronavirus Would Be A ‘Major Threat’ — But Response Fell Short
• ‘I don’t want to use the b-word’: Trump aides race to rescue the economy (“The Trump administration is scrambling to prop up industries crumbling under the weight of the novel coronavirus outbreak. — Just don’t call it a ‘bailout’ around any White House officials or Republicans on Capitol Hill.”)
• 2020 Time Capsule #1: Four Ways Trump’s Oval Office Address Failed
• New Coronavirus Test 10 Times Faster Is FDA Approved
• Source: Trump is concerned about coming into contact with people infected with virus
• Disney World and Disneyland are closing amid Covid-19 fears (“All Disney parks across the globe will be shut down as of Monday, March 16.”)
• Sick People Across the U.S. Say They Are Being Denied the Coronavirus Test
• CDC tested only 77 people this week; coronavirus testing slow around the nation
• Anger grows at Trump administration’s coronavirus testing failures (This administration is utterly worthless. Worse than worthless, actually.)
• The Dos and Don’ts of ‘Social Distancing’ (“Experts weigh in on whether you should cancel your dates, dinner parties, and gym sessions.”)
• How the Coronavirus Changed the 2020 Campaign
• ‘Biden became president today’: Even Republicans are now deserting Trump over his coronavirus response
• Joe Biden’s coronavirus plan, explained (“The plan draws a sharp contrast to Trump’s response so far.”)
• Anger grows at Trump administration’s coronavirus testing failures
• Congress, go big before you go home
• In Reversal, Trump Administration Now Urges Agencies To Allow Telework
• Fox Goes Full Dear Leader with Coronavirus Coverage (“Amid a public health crisis, sycophantic TV hosts are glorifying the president and attacking his perceived enemies, treating a pandemic like yet another partisan fight.”)
• Women are rejecting Sanders (“The most numerous group of Democrats don’t like him.”)
• Joe Biden already sounds as if he’s the president (“Biden shows what a competent plan to address coronavirus looks like.”)
• Democrats don’t need a debate. They need a display of leadership.
• VP Pence downplays “irresponsible rhetoric” on coronavirus — after he graced Rush Limbaugh with an interview about it (Appalling.)
• Trump Calls To Put Politics Aside Over Coronavirus, Then Attacks Biden Anyway (“The president’s blatant hypocrisy over his call to ‘stop the partisanship’ got the treatment on Twitter.”)
• By reframing Trump’s incoherent, inaccurate ramblings as bland political copy, journalists are carrying water for the president (“Reality TV journalism for a reality TV president doesn’t cut it”)
• NCAA tournaments canceled over coronavirus
• We Can’t Go Back to the Way Things Used to Be (“The coronavirus debunks many American myths”)
• Seth Meyers Mocks Trump’s Hot Mic Moment as Coronavirus Cancels ‘Late Night’
• Most U.S. Sports Leagues Suspend Play Due to COVID-19
• A Sitting Federal Judge Says the Courts Have Been Hijacked By Conservative Activists
• Biden campaign requests Secret Service protection
• Will the Coronavirus Take Down Trump’s Reelection Campaign?
• Ohio health official estimates 100,000 people in state have coronavirus
• Fox News During the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Awful Even by Fox News Standards (“Which is really saying something.”)
• How Fox News misled viewers about the coronavirus (Fox should be shut down.)
• Coronavirus consumes Trump’s reelection bid
• Judge orders Chelsea Manning’s release from jail in Virginia (“Ex-army analyst, held for refusing to testify to grand jury over WikiLeaks, attempted suicide this week, legal team said”)
• Pentagon asks to reconsider massive cloud contract award amid Amazon challenge
• A President Unequal to the Moment
• Virginia GOP Senator Admits Trump Is Toxic for Virginia Republicans
• Warner: Test Everyone Who Exhibits COVID-19 Symptoms
• Virginia becomes the first state in the South to target 100% clean power (“The Democrats in the Virginia legislature have wanted to take action on climate, guns, abortion, and health care for years. Now they have majorities and they are going for it, passing bills (including lots of other energy bills) at a dizzying rate.”)
• Schools, welfare and a tunnel: How new Democratic majorities put their mark on their first budget (“$1.4 billion in new spending on schools…Dental coverage for Medicaid patients”)
• Statements: Virginia General Assembly Passes Biennial Budget
• Virginia Senate Democratic Leadership “Sine Die” Statement for 2020 General Assembly Session
• BREAKING (Video): Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Declares State of Emergency in Response to COVID-19 [UPDATED with Gov. Northam’s press release]
• Price Gouging Protections in Effect in Virginia as State of Emergency Declared Over Coronavirus
• 17 coronavirus cases in Virginia; Northam declares state of emergency
• Virus hangs over final day of legislative session as Northam declares state of emergency
• All the Virginia Schools and Universities Closed For Coronavirus
• Coronavirus Virginia As of 11:30 am Thursday
• Legislative Stats, Including Legislators’ “Batting Averages” – With Important Context and Caveats – for the 2020 Virginia General Assembly Session
• VA House Democratic Caucus Statement: General Assembly Passes Most Progressive Budget in Commonwealth’s History
• General Assembly divide means Court of Appeals, SCC judge picks will fall to Northam
• Metro preparing for possibility of scaling back service in face of coronavirus concerns
• Jim LeMunyon column: Nonpartisan redistricting is necessary but not sufficient (There’s a lie right in the headline of this column, by a Republican former delegate – in fact, this is NOT in any way “nonpartisan redisticting”)
• Richmond City, Henrico County Public Schools to Close, Other Systems Weighing Options (“Leaders in each district announced late Thursday they will close for at least two weeks. Henrico’s superintendent says they’ll continue to assess the situation and decide later whether to stay closed for longer than that.”)
• Virginia Beach, Norfolk schools will close to students Monday while staffs make coronavirus plans
• Fairfax County Opts To Close Schools Friday To ‘Ease’ Anxiety
• Albemarle, Charlottesville declare local emergencies; schools cancel class March 16
• York, Gloucester schools close for students for a day to make coronavirus plans
• Va. man sentenced to death in 2011 gets new hearing, and new prosecutor agrees to life sentence (“Mark Lawlor admits he killed Genevieve Orange, but new prosecutor Steve T. Descano opposes capital punishment”)
• Arlington Joins Group Dedicated to ‘Connecting Cities and Nature’
• 2 new coronavirus cases confirmed on the Peninsula
• Warm and windy with rain chances today. Calmer and cooler this weekend.