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The Treasury Department said March 18 it wants to dedicate $500 billion to start issuing direct payments to Americans by early next month as the centerpiece of a $1 trillion plan to stabilize the economy as the coronavirus epidemic threatens a body slam to taxpayers and businesses.

President Donald Trump announced March 14 that the United States will broaden its European travel ban, adding Britain and Ireland to its list, and was considering imposing restrictions on travel within the U.S. to areas hit hard by the coronavirus spread

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on March 13 declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak.

NEW YORK— The S&P 500 dropped about 7% within the first few minutes of trading March 12, steep enough to trigger an automatic halt to trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment insurance fell last week for a second straight week, an indication that the coronavirus had not yet hit the labor market in a major way.

WASHINGTON — Taking drastic action March 11, President Donald Trump announced he is cutting off travel from Europe to the U.S. and moving to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans. Restrictions won't apply to cargo.

RAWLINS, Wyo. — At least three people died and dozens were injured in a pileup involving more than 100 vehicles, many of them tractor-trailers, amid blowing snow that closed part of Interstate 80 in Wyoming, officials said March 2.

Amtrak named a former air cargo executive as its new president and chief operating officer March 2.

TOKYO — Panasonic is pulling out of its partnership with Tesla to produce solar panels at a factory in New York state, the Japanese electronics maker said Feb. 26.

PARIS — Despite record profits last year, Peugeot maker PSA Group said Feb. 26 it lost 700 million euros ($760 million) in China — and that was before the new virus hit a key manufacturing center.