AMERICA RESPONDS

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The world’s death toll from the coronavirus passed 9,700 on Thursday afternoon, including more than 150 people in nearly half of U.S. states. Emerging evidence of the vulnerability of younger people raised new fears of the potential magnitude of the outbreak in the United States.

With more than 235,000 confirmed cases worldwide, the State Department warned Americans not to travel abroad, Queen Elizabeth II left London for Windsor Castle, and the U.S. and Mexico moved toward a ban on nonessential cross-border travel. President Donald Trump signaled he could be open to the federal government taking an equity stake in affected U.S. companies.

❚ In Italy, the more than 3,400 deaths surpassed those reported in China, reflecting how the pandemic has crippled the European country. A USA TODAY data analysis finds that America may be following a similar trajectory.

❚ Millennials should take the threat seriously, the administration warned, bolstered by new data showing about one in five people who sought treatment at U.S. hospitals were 20 to 44 years old.

❚ We may not see new therapies designed for treating the virus for three to six months, though the FDA is looking at several approved drugs. A vaccine? Maybe 12 months away. Trump expressed optimism about two drugs researchers are studying.

❚ The Trump administration wants $1,000 per adult and $500 per child to go out within three weeks of the stimulus package’s approval, followed by an additional $3,000 six weeks later, if needed. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin also wants $300 billion for small businesses and $200 billion to secure lending to airlines and other critical industries.

❚ New jobless claims jumped last week as employers reacted to evaporating demand. Markets stabilized Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 188 points to close at 20,087.