10 things you need to know today: March 14, 2020

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1. Trump declares state of emergency over coronavirus
2. House passes coronavirus bill
3. Stocks soar in biggest rally since 2008
4. Louisiana postpones primary amid coronavirus pandemic
5. New Zealand prime minister enacts strict coronavirus travel measures
6. Iraqi military base housing U.S. troops struck by rockets again
7. White House physician says Trump coronavirus test unnecessary
8. Apple to close stores outside of China temporarily
9. Masters, Boston Marathon postponed
10. Box office braces for low turnout over weekend

published 14 March 2020

1. Trump declares state of emergency over coronavirus

President Trump declared a national emergency related to the coronavirus outbreak on Friday afternoon. The new designation will allow up to $50 billion in additional funding for response teams to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, which now has more than 2,100 confirmed cases in the U.S. Trump has thus far sought to downplay the effects of the virus, saying it "will pass" and has disputed health experts' explanations that the virus is deadlier than the annual flu season. Trump also called for hospitals across the country to activate their emergency preparedness plans.

The House passed a coronavirus economic relief bill early Saturday, 363-40-1, after days of negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The bill includes tens of billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, and free testing, among other things. Prior to its passing, President Trump had urged Republicans and Democrats to support the legislation, although all of the "no" votes came from GOP lawmakers. It will now head to the Senate, where it is expected to pass next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled a planned recess so the upper chamber could vote on the issue.

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U.S. markets yo-yoed back up on Friday afternoon, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring 1,985 points, or 9.4 percent, its largest single-day point gain in history. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite climbed 9.2 and 9.3 percent, respectively, their largest one-day gains since 2008. The jump came at the end of a volatile week influenced by the global coronavirus outbreak; Thursday brought the most dramatic losses since the market crash of 1987. After a bounce back on Friday morning, stocks continued to rise as President Trump announced actions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 across the country, like making 50,000 tests available next week and increasing oil purchases.

Louisiana's upcoming presidential primary is set to be postponed due to concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced Friday he's asking the governor to issue an executive order postponing the presidential primary that was set to take place on April 4. The primary is to be moved to June 20. "The two-month delay of this election will continue to allow our office to procure necessary supplies to put our state in best possible posture for the time when this election is conducted," Ardoin said. This is the first state to postpone its primary due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, and it comes as primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio are set to take place on Tuesday.

Countries around the world continue to enact strict measures such as border closures and flight cancellations to combat the spread of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus. That includes New Zealand, whose Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Saturday the government will implement a policy under which all travelers, even New Zealanders, must self-isolate upon their arrival in the country for 14 days starting Sunday at midnight. Ardern said New Zealand "will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world" and "I make no apologies." All cruise ships will be banned from coming to New Zealand until June 30, as well. There are only six confirmed cases and no deaths attributed to COVID-19 in New Zealand so far.

Iraqi security officials said more than a dozen rockets landed inside Camp Taji, a military base north of Baghdad housing U.S. and other coalition troops in what appears to be a continuation of retaliatory attacks between the U.S. and Iran following the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani earlier this year. There was no immediate word on whether there were any casualties resulting from the strike, which occurred just days after a similar attack at the base killed three servicemen, including two Americans. That attack prompted the U.S. to strike against what U.S. officials said were weapons facilities, belonging to the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group. Iraq's military said those operations killed five security force members and a civilian. Iran-backed groups vowed revenge for Friday's strikes.

Despite President Trump saying Friday he planned to get tested for the novel COVID-19 coronavirus, White House physician Sean Conley hours later said the action isn't necessary. Trump, within the last week, had two interactions with individuals who tested positive for the virus — he shook hands with Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and he also shared a table with another person at his Mar-a-Lago resort. But Conley said both instances were "low risk" because neither person was exhibiting symptoms at the time. He added that because Trump himself is without symptoms, testing or quarantine are not recommended.

As part of the worldwide effort to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced in a letter Friday evening that the company is closing all of its retail stores "outside of Greater China" until March 27. Cook said the "most effective way to minimize the risk" of transmission is to "reduce density and maximize social distance." Apple's online store will remain operational, and customers can still go to authorized repaired shops or arrange mail-in services if they require assistance with their products. Employees affected by the store closings will continue to be paid, and Apple will also commit $15 million to help with global recovery from the virus, both physically and economically.

More major sporting events were postponed Friday amid fears of the spreading novel COVID-19 coronavirus. The Boston Marathon, which reportedly brings in roughly $200 million to the area each year, will be pushed from April 20 until Sept. 14, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Friday. Meanwhile, Augusta National officials announced Friday the Masters Tournament, perhaps golf's most iconic competition, will be postponed. The tournament was supposed to take place in Georgia between April 9-12, but it's now unclear when it will be played. The event, which began annually in 1934, has never occurred outside of March or April.

Theaters across the country are expecting low turnout for weekend showings amid the coronavirus outbreak that has reverberated across industries. Though Vin Diesel-starring Bloodshot, faith-based I Still Believe, and controversy-sparking The Hunt are all debuting, box office prognosticators are bracing for dismal numbers as moviegoers opt to stay home. "Last weekend, concerns over the coronavirus and its potential effect on the weekend box office loomed, but didn't appear to have any major impact," writes Box Office Mojo. "Over the course of this week things have changed dramatically." While the debuting films are expected to bring in decent numbers, "it was hoped that each would come in about $2 million higher," says The Hollywood Reporter. Several other films have delayed their releases amid the virus' spread.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.