Viral News: While President Trump ordered the closure of the Mexico and Canada borders in response to the coronavirus pandemic, several more states including New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey put a limit on non-essential outdoor gatherings.

  “These provisions will be enforced,” New York Gov. Andrew  Cuomo said at a briefing in Albany. “These are not helpful hints.”

  Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced a statewide “stay at home” order for  all 12 million residents to leave the house only when necessary.

  Adding up all the states that have made orders, roughly one in five Americans has been told to stay inside. 

  What are described as “essential businesses” are allowed to remain open, including grocers, health care providers, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, banks, hardware stores, laundromats, child-care providers, auto repair, utilities, warehouses and distributors, plumbers, animal-care providers, transportation workers, construction companies, and many kinds manufacturers.

  Starbucks is closing most of its cafes in the US. In New York, liquor stores have been informed that they are an “essential business.” We may all survive this after all.

  The financial markets went on another slide yesterday, closing lower than where they were when Trump was inaugurated. The Dow Jones is down about 35 percent from its February 12^th peak before the start of the pandemic. The entire “Trump Bump,” the stock market rocket ride of which the President has been so proud, is gone. The Dow is now 2.8 percent below the day Trump took office.

  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said US citizens “should arrange immediate return” unless they intend to remain abroad for an extended time. 

  President Trump suggested that immigrants would strain health care systems. “During a global pandemic they threaten to create a public storm that would spread the infection to our border agents, migrants and the public at large,” Trump said, referring to people seeking to enter the country.

Statistical Report: Italy reported 627 deaths yesterday, its single worst day in the pandemic, as it surges past the death toll in China. Italy has now lost 4,032 people to China’s 3,259. 

  The US is  quickly approaching 20,000 infections with 260 deaths. The numbers are jumping 20 to 25 percent a day now. Vice President Mike Pence said tens of thousands of tests are being done every day.

Lack of Intelligence: While President Trump was downplaying the threat, US intelligence agencies in January and February wee delivering ominous classified warnings about the global danger posed by the coronavirus, The Washington Post reports.

  “Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it,” one official told the Post. “The system was blinking red.”

  White House spokesman Hogan Gidley responded in a statement. “It’s more than disgusting, despicable and disgraceful for cowardly unnamed sources to attempt to rewrite history — it’s a clear threat to this great country.”

The Bulletin Board: Billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent $900 million on his failed campaign for the presidency. He’s still a billionaire. — Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein of California is one of the four senators who sold large amounts of stock before the markets crashed, leading to the suspicion that they were trading on information that no one else had. The others are James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, Kelly Loeffler, Republican of Georgia, and David Perdue, Republican of Georgia.  

The Obit Page: Country singer Kenny Rogers has died at age 81. In a career spanning 60 years, he had 24 number one hits. Among them were: “Lady,” “Lucille,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Islands In The Stream,” and “Through the Years.” His 1978 song “The Gambler” inspired several television movies, with Rogers as the main character.

Miracle Cure: At yesterday’s coronavirus press briefing, President Trump promoted his hopes that long-used malaria drugs would prove the silver bullet for the coronavirus.

 “I’m a smart guy,” Trump said, while admitting he doesn’t know the drugs will work. He said,  “I feel good about it. And we’re going to see. You’re going to see soon enough.”

  That sparked what may have been his nastiest public confrontation with a reporter, NBC’s Peter Alexander:

Alexander: Is it possible — is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may be giving Americans a false sense of hope and misrepresenting…

Trump: No, I don’t think so…

Alexander: … the preparedness right now?

Trump: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I think that — I think it’s got a —

Alexander: … and the not-yet-approved drug?

Trump: Such a lovely question.

  Look, it may work and it may not work and I agree with the doctor, what he said. It may work, it may not work.

  I feel good about it. That’s all it is, just a feeling. I — you know, I’m a smart guy, I feel good about it and we’re going to see. You’re going to see soon enough.

  A few moments later, Alexander asked, So, what do you say Americans who are scared, I guess? Nearly 200 dead and 14,000 who are sick and millions as you witness who are scared right now, what do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared? “

  That put Trump in attack mode.

Trump: I say that you are a terrible reporter, that’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question. I think it’s a very bad signal that you are putting out to the American people. They’re looking for answers and they’re looking for hope. And you’re doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Concast — I don’t call it Comcast I call it Concast.

  Later in the press conference Alexander asked Vice President Mike Pence the same question, what would you say to frightened Americans. Pence answered, “”Don’t be afraid, be vigilant.”

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