Politics

Coronavirus Updates: Trump Administration Evaluates Lifting Restrictions

9:00pm March 24, 2020

NPR White House, economic and global health correspondents relay the latest developments and scientific findings in the United States response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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President Trump speaks while Dr. Anthony Fauci listens during Tuesday's briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump Sets Easter Goal For Reopening American Economy

7:48pm March 24, 2020

by Philip Ewing

The president's informal target to curtail mitigation measures like social distancing comes as the total number of confirmed cases nationwide tops 50,000.

Politics & Government

Federal Emergency Management Agency Launches Website To Combat False Rumors

5:41pm March 24, 2020

by Brian Naylor

The coronavirus pandemic has incubated many rumors, from suggestions that a national lockdown is being planned to military deployments. FEMA is trying to dispel these myths through a website.

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A health care worker with the UNLV School of Medicine tests a patient for the coronavirus at a drive-thru testing site in Las Vegas.

FACT CHECK: U.S. Testing Still Isn't Close To What South Korea Has Done

5:03pm March 24, 2020

by Domenico Montanaro

President Trump and other U.S. officials touted Tuesday that the United States had surpassed South Korea in total coronavirus tests. But South Korea is far outpacing the U.S. per capita.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on MSNBC Tuesday that after the coronavirus relief bill is passed, lawmakers will consider options for replacing in-person voting.

House Lawmakers Weigh Voting By Proxy To Maintain Social Distancing

4:45pm March 24, 2020

by Claudia Grisales

Members are pushing to change the tradition of in-person voting because of coronavirus. Remote voting would take time to set up; it would be faster to have one member vote on behalf of many others.

President Donald Trump talks with host Bill Hemmer Tuesday during a Fox News virtual town hall with members of the coronavirus task force at the White House.

FACT CHECK: Trump Compares Coronavirus To The Flu, But It Could Be 10 Times Deadlier

4:04pm March 24, 2020

by Domenico Montanaro

This coronavirus is novel, meaning how it will manifest is still unclear. About 0.1% who get flu die. It's estimated that about 1% of those who have gotten coronavirus have died from it.

Anti-Abortion Rights Groups Ask HHS To Urge End To Abortion During Pandemic

2:00pm March 24, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

Groups opposed to abortion rights have signed a letter asking federal health officials to urge abortion providers to "cease operations" in an effort to preserve medical equipment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives Monday to speak outside her office on Capitol Hill. The day was filled with back-and-forth in the Senate over the House Democrats' financial stimulus package.

Politics & Government

Pelosi Says There Is 'Real Optimism' Over Coronavirus Financial Package

1:30pm March 24, 2020

The House speaker said a Senate agreement could be "done in the next few hours." The remarks are a boost for an approximately $2 trillion deal to revitalize an economy hobbled by the outbreak.

Polling stations were shut down in Columbus, Ohio on March 17. Hours before polls were set to open, Gov. Mike DeWine called off in-person voting due to the coronavirus outbreak and is attempting to reschedule the election for June.

As Coronavirus Delays Primary Season, States Weigh Expanding Absentee Voting

1:03pm March 24, 2020

by Pam Fessler

There is growing interest in expanding voting by mail, at least for the remainder of 2020, in order to keep poll workers and voters safe. But there are many challenges to pulling it off.

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The Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Complex in Butner, N.C, is pictured on April 1, 2014. Advocates are pushing for protections for vulnerable inmates amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As COVID-19 Spreads, Calls Grow To Protect Inmates In Federal Prisons

12:38pm March 24, 2020

by Ryan Lucas

Lawmakers and advocacy groups are putting pressure on the Trump administration to take steps to protect vulnerable federal inmates from the coronavirus.