US reaches moment of truth on coronavirus

President Trump concluded his address to the nation at 9:12 p.m. on Wednesday, seeking to reassure a nervous public that the government was doing everything it could to stave off the worst effects of the coronavirus. Two days later, he declared a national emergency.

The past week was marked by a whirlwind of cancellations, restrictions on travel and public gatherings, and increasingly grim warnings from public health officials.

Five minutes after Trump’s Wednesday speech, news broke that actor Tom Hanks had the virus, the most high-profile American to contract it to date. Twenty minutes after that, the NBA announced its season had been suspended after first one and then multiple players tested positive. Continue reading.