Government

NBC News reports: Rhode Island’s National Guard and state police are stopping motorists with New York license plates and going door-to-door to find people who may have traveled recently from the state. The enforcement actions come after Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered that anyone who has moved from New York state to Rhode Island in the past two weeks must self-quarantine …

The Kansas City Star reports: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly imposed a statewide stay at home order Saturday in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Kelly said the measure, which follows similar orders in the state’s most populous counties, is necessary to give health care workers the time to prepare for the peak of the virus and …

The Oklahoman reports: Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, a physician who became a powerful force in Congress on fiscal matters, died early Saturday morning after a long fight with prostate cancer. He was 72. Coburn, of Muskogee, served in the Senate from 2005 to 2015 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001. After leaving the Senate, …

Via press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom: Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters affected by COVID-19 through May 31, 2020. The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent and prohibits enforcement of evictions by law enforcement or courts. It also requires tenants to declare in writing, no …

USA Today reports: Several members of Congress from New York City are traveling to Washington, D.C., Friday to vote on the coronavirus stimulus package despite White House guidance for New Yorkers to self-quarantine Earlier this week at a coronavirus task force press briefing, Dr. Deborah Birx advised people from New York to self-quarantine for 14 days after leaving the city …

The New York Daily News reports: New Yorkers should be prepared for the city to remain in “pause” due to coronavirus through May even as President Trump gives Americans “false hope” the country will reopen by Easter next month, Mayor de Blasio said Friday. “We have to be ready for that and I think it’s going to spread in the …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated that the U.S. government would take stakes in airline carriers in exchange for billions of dollars in direct grants to the companies, as part of a $2 trillion economic rescue package, according to people familiar with the matter. He detailed his plans during last-minute negotiations when the aid to airlines …

Business Insider reports: Of the funding allocated to the CDC, the bill sets aside at least $500 million for public health data surveillance and modernizing the analytics infrastructure. The CDC must report on the development of a “surveillance and data collection system” within the next 30 days. While it’s not clear what form that surveillance system will take, the federal …

The Washington Post reports: Facing one of the worst economic downturns in American history, one that is unsparing in its trauma, the Senate late Wednesday unanimously approved a $2 trillion emergency relief bill that attempts to arrest the financial havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers acted with unusual speed and cooperation to produce the largest economic rescue package in …

Denver’s ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Jared Polis issued a statewide stay-at-home order Wednesday afternoon. It goes into effect 6 a.m. Thursday and will last until April 11. Many Coloradans, including the vast majority of people in metro Denver, live in counties where stay-at-home orders have already been announced. In-person gatherings with people outside one’s residence are prohibited. People can …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order Wednesday asking Minnesotans to stay in their homes unless absolutely necessary, his most dramatic executive action to date to try and slow the growing coronavirus pandemic across the state. The “stay-at-home” order, beginning at midnight Friday, is based on models developed by the Minnesota Department of Health and the …

The New York Times reports: As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York continued to grow — reaching more than 30,000 — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that there were early signs that the state’s stringent restrictions on social gatherings could be slowing the virus’s spread. In a briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo said there were …

Politico reports: New Jersey lawmakers will make history Wednesday when members of the General Assembly will call into a conference line to cast their votes remotely on several bills related to the coronavirus pandemic. Kevin McArdle, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin [photo], said the bills will be announced over the phone and that each member will be called …

The New York Post reports: The number of confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus has climbed to 20,875 statewide, including 12,305 in the five boroughs of New York City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. The grim toll also includes 157 deaths in the Empire State, Cuomo said — representing more than a third of the 463 deaths nationwide. “I see …

The Detroit Free Press reports: As cases of COVID-19 soared in Michigan and as deaths mounted statewide as well as across the nation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a lockdown or “shelter in place” order for Michigan. The governor’s office was holding a conference call Monday morning with business leaders, who have publicly expressed concern about such an order doing …

Posted this morning by Sen. Amy Klobuchar: I have news that many Americans are facing right now: my husband John has the coronavirus. We just got the test results at 7 a.m. this morning. While I cannot see him and he is of course cut off from all visitors, our daughter Abigail and I are constantly calling and texting and …

NBC News reports: Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, who tested positive last week for the disease caused by the coronavirus, said Sunday night that he has been hospitalized since Friday because of “severe shortness of breath.” McAdams said in a statement that he experienced worsening symptoms Friday evening and he called the hotline for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. …

The Washington Post reports: Senate Democrats blocked a massive coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward late Sunday as partisan disputes raged over the legislation that’s aimed at arresting the economy’s precipitous decline. Lawmakers had hoped to pass the enormous $1.8 trillion bill by Monday but Sunday night they were scrambling to revive talks, with the stock market poised for another …

Hemant Mehta reports at The Friendly Atheist: Because church/state separation apparently goes out the window whenever there’s a crisis to exploit, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves spent the morning leading the state in Christian prayer from his office. I guess there’s nothing else he needed to be doing. Between three Bible readings, two prayers, and a bizarre statement telling God “Thank …

NY1 reports: The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will be closing all their offices due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made Saturday and stated expiration dates for driver licenses, non-driver IDs, and registrations set to expire on or post-March 1, 2020, would be extended, while road tests would be suspended. Additionally, in-office reservations, road tests, …