Slow Response to the Coronavirus Measured in Lost Opportunity  —  If the administration had reacted to the ventilator shortage in February, a private sector effort starting now might have made lifesaving equipment in mid- to late April.  Now it is unlikely to be before June.

Trump wants ‘the country opened,’ but easing coronavirus restrictions now would be disastrous, experts say  —  A growing debate pits the health of the U.S. economy against the health of its people  —  With President Trump saying he wants “the country opened” by Easter to salvage the U.S. economy …

Thousands of Liberty students expected to return to campus amid coronavirus outbreak  —  LYNCHBURG — As the coronavirus threatens to spread across the Lynchburg region, Liberty University officials are preparing to welcome back up to 5,000 students from spring break this week.

President Trump's Job Approval Rating Up to 49%  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump may be enjoying a small rally in public support as the nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic.  Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults, up from 44% earlier this month, approve of the job Trump is doing as president.

Democrats and Schumer surrendering on Senate coronavirus stimulus bill  —  They couldn't take the heat.  —  Despite vows not to vote for any package from the White House, notwithstanding House Speaker Nancy “Nanking” Pelosi (D-CA) writing a bill of her own, although media attacks persisted …

Bernie Sanders Plans to Participate in Next Debate, Campaign Says  —  It was the strongest sign yet that he plans to keep competing against Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary.  —  Senator Bernie Sanders plans to participate in the Democratic presidential debate in April if one is held …

Britney Spears calls for wealth redistribution, general strike on Instagram  —  Britney Spears seemingly called for the redistribution of wealth and a general strike on Monday, “regramming” a post written by Instagram user Mimi Zhu.  “During this time of isolation, we need connection now more than ever …

The coronavirus isn't mutating quickly, suggesting a vaccine would offer lasting protection  —  The coronavirus is not mutating significantly as it circulates through the human population, according to scientists who are closely studying the novel pathogen's genetic code.

LA County Sheriff orders gun stores to close; adds 1,300 deputies to patrol  —  LA County Sheriff announces coronavirus changes  —  LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says that all gun stores in the county will be forced to close.  He's adding more deputies to patrol.

One person tests positive for COVID-19 after attending ‘coronavirus party,’ Beshear says  —  Kentucky's overall confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 163 Tuesday with at least one case stemming from a “coronavirus party,” Gov. Andy Beshear said, admonishing the practice and calling for an immediate end to such gatherings.

Pelosi delays her coronavirus bill, says will try to pass Senate's without most members present  —  House speaker: ‘Put aside some of our concerns for another day, and get this done’  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that she will attempt to pass the Senate's coronavirus economic …

A Fox News Channel Producer Promised Betsy DeVos “An Easy Interview” in 2018 Email  —  THR has reviewed more than 1,000 pages of emails between Fox employees and aides at the Departments of Homeland Security, Education and Agriculture.  —  In 2018 and 2019, booking Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos …

Biden campaign calls for U.S. international leadership on coronavirus  —  The United States' response to the coronavirus crisis has focused almost exclusively on domestic considerations, leaving a vacuum atop the international system — one that China is trying to fill.

How reporters should handle Trump's press briefings  —  In the interest of protecting the nation's health, it is time to socially distance ourselves from the crazy things that President Trump keeps saying.  —  I've been an enthusiastic advocate of bringing back the daily White House briefings …

Smartphone data reveal which Americans are social distancing (and not)  —  D.C. gets an ‘A’ while Wyoming earns an ‘F’ for following coronavirus stay-at-home advice, based on the locations of tens of millions of phones  —  If you have a smartphone, you're probably contributing to a massive coronavirus surveillance system.

Governor Rejects State Lockdown For COVID-19: 'Mississippi's Never Going to Be China' … March 24 UPDATE to below story: At a press conference this morning, Gov. Tate Reeves said he's still taking a “Wait and See” approach to a shelter-at-home order.  He didn't give details of executive orders …

The government's secret ventilator stockpile is nowhere near enough to fight the coronavirus  —  Are you a health worker, medical provider, COVID-19 patient, or federal employee on the front lines of the pandemic?  We want to hear from you.  Email us tips@publicintegrity.org.  —  Only 16,600 ventilators.

‘Cacophony of coughing’: Inside NYC's virus-besieged ERs  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A “cacophony of coughing” in packed emergency rooms.  Beds squeezed in wherever there is space.  Overworked, sleep-deprived doctors and nurses rationed to one face mask a day and wracked by worry about a dwindling number of available ventilators.

‘Dumbest s—’: DeSantis takes heat as he goes his own way on coronavirus  —  TALLAHASSEE — While New York, California and other states shutter their economies to keep the coronavirus at bay, Gov. Ron DeSantis is refusing to follow the herd.  —  His cure-can't-be-worse-than-the- disease approach …

‘Imaginary clock’: Governors reject Trump's virus timeline  —  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Governors across the nation on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump's new accelerated timeline for reopening the U.S. economy, as they continued to impose more restrictions on travel and public life …

Americans Stranded Abroad Fume Over the Long Wait to Come Home  —  Nearly 3,000 in Peru organize to share, help, vent about delays in efforts to bring them back to U.S.  —  Americans stranded in Peru because of the coronavirus pandemic have begun organizing among themselves to share information …

Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright of Gay Life, Dies at 81  —  Mr. McNally, who died of coronavirus complications, introduced audiences to characters and situations that most mainstream theater had previously shunted into comic asides.  —  Terrence McNally, the four …

Americans' Revulsion for Trump Is Underappreciated  —  The release on Friday of an ABC News/Ipsos poll indicating that 55 percent of Americans approved of Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus—12 points higher than the previous week—prompted another round of fatalistic chatter in certain quarters of the political establishment.

Coronavirus: New York City to release 300 nonviolent inmates from Rikers Island  — The prisoners all have light sentences, less than a year, and were found guilty of misdemeanor charges, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.  — The city has incarcerated more than 5,000 inmates, housed mostly at Rikers Island.

Fed Digital Dollars Are Part of Debate Over Coronavirus Stimulus  —  Legislation includes tool some believe could reshape how monetary policy is conducted  —  While it may not make it to the finished coronavirus economic stimulus and support package now being weighed in Congress …

What I Learned When My Husband Got Sick With Coronavirus  —  Our world became one of isolation, round-the-clock care, panic and uncertainty — even as society carried on around us with all too few changes.  —  “How are you doing, love?”  I call to my husband from the living-room floor …

‘Last resort’: Alabama's plan for deciding which coronavirus patients get ventilators  —  In the coming weeks, difficult decisions about who will live and who will die in Alabama may hinge on a little-discussed document outlining the state's suggested “criteria for mechanical ventilator triage” …

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher: Wisconsin can cancel the apocalypse  —  To save thousands of lives, we have temporarily shut down our economy.  This has been a necessary tactic, but it cannot be our permanent strategy.  —  Even as the strictest part of the coronavirus lockdown continues …

Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee … THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC), THOMAS BACH, AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, ABE SHINZO, HELD A CONFERENCE CALL THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT …

Unclogging Toilets at $400,000 a Flush Hits Navy's Costs  — GAO says Navy underestimated maintenance costs by $130 billion  — Those costs add to questions on expanding 293-ship Navy to 355  —  New toilets on the Navy's two newest aircraft carriers clog so frequently …