The World on Lockdown: As state and local governments order the closure of bars and restaurants and limit the size of gatherings, President Trump said the coronavirus crisis could last into July and August and the country could be headed into a recession.

  Describing the virus as “an invisible enemy,”  Trump said, “We’ve made the decision to further toughen the guidelines and blunt the infection now,” Trump told reporters. “We’d much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it.” He encouraged home schooling and avoiding unnecessary travel.

  A British report says that without drastic action as many as 2.2 million people in the United States could die.

  The Trump administration is seeking as much as $850 billion in economic stimulus from Congress.

  The Dow Jones had another record loss yesterday — nearly 3,000 points. That’s a drop of nearly 13 percent. 

  The White House has advised people not to gather in groups of more than 10. Seven million residents of San Francisco have been ordered to shelter in place.  New York’s St, Patrick’s Day parade is postponed.

  New Orleans ordered bars and restaurants to close. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut coordinated to ban gatherings of more than 50 people. The Ohio Democratic primary that was to be held today has been delayed. Millions of children have been closed out of schools. The March 28th “Saturday Night Live” will not be live.

  As shoppers stay home, Amazon is hiring 100,000 new workers to keep up with online demand.

  Around the world, France has banned all family and social gatherings and closed its borders. Canada closed its borders to most foreigners with an exception for Americans. Switzerland’s government banned all private and public events.

  Deaths in Italy jumped by nearly 100 yesterday. Obituaries fill the newspapers. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered people to stay home and seek permission for essential travel. He said in a television address that, “There is no more time.” 

The Case File: Worldwide, the number of cases is over 183,000 with 7,167 deaths. As of this morning, the US has had 4,661 cases and 85 deaths. The biggest concentrations here in the states are in New York and the state of Washington. New York has had 10 deaths and Washington, 48. 

  Despite saying on Jan. 22^nd that “We have it totally under control” as the virus ran out of control, President Trump yesterday said that he would rate his administration’s response as a “10 out of 10.”

  A new NPR/Marist poll says 60 percent of Americans don’t trust what Trump says about the situation. 

  Americans are still reporting difficulty getting tested for the disease even while the Trump administration says millions of tests are in the pipeline. At a press conference, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said, “The most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. And to do that, you must test and isolate. He said, “We have a simple message for all countries. Test, test, test. Test every suspected case.”

The Obit Page: Vittorio Gregotti, the Italian modernist architect who designed Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, has died of the coronavirus at age 92. His work was a blend of classical and modernist styles.

Right Turn: President Trump and the Republican Senate having been busy filling empty federal court seats with ideologically friendly candidates, but they’re running out of vacancies.

 The NY Times reports that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been quietly urging older judges appointed by Republicans to retire so they can be replaced this year — before the Republicans might lose majority control, the presidency, or both. A right wing judicial advocacy group says there are 90 Republican-appointed judges eligible to retire.

  After Republicans jammed President Obama’s judicial appointments, Trump has filled 192 seats on the federal bench, including two Supreme Court justices. 

Russia With Love: The Justice Department is dropping its criminal charges against the operators of a Russian troll farm that attempted to influence the 2016 US election. While refusing to show up for trial, prosecutors say, the Russians were fighting the indictment and taking advantage of the legal discovery process to learn things about US intelligence capabilities.

Celebrity Coronavirus: Actor Idris Elba announced yesterday that he has contracted the coronavirus. Meghan and Harry are on lockdown in Canada. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are out of the hospital. “Frozen” star Rachel Matthews is positive. Kristofer Hivju, the big bearded red-headed guy from “Game of Thrones” has tested positive. Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko, a “Bond Girl,” says she’s got it. And Kris Jenner has it, bringing a Kardashian angle to the pandemic because it’s just not a story without the Kardashians.

-30-