.By Mary Clare Jalonick and Eric Tucker
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., stepped aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday after the FBI served a search warrant for his phone as part of an ongoing insider-trading investigation tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the move, saying he and Burr had agreed it was in the Senate's best interests.
FBI officials showed up at Burr's home with the warrant on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation into the Justice Department's investigation into whether Burr broke the law with a well-timed sale of stocks before the coronavirus caused markets to plummet,
The Justice Department declined to comment. His attorney did not respond to phone and email messages, but said last month that the law is clear that any senator can participate in stock market trading based on public information "as Sen. Burr did."
Stocks are headed lower in afternoon trading on Wall Street after erasing earlier gains, as investors close out a brutal first quarter.
A city of about 150,000 just in northern Los Angeles County is preparing for the spread of the novel coronavirus by teaming up with the local aerospace companies to create ventilator substitutes and preparing an ordinance that would require wearing masks, according to Mayor R. Rex Parris.
The former CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., says some restaurants simply won't survive the coronavirus outbreak.
The president took to Twitter last Friday and unleashed a furious series of attacks at GM and its chairman and CEO, Mary Barra, leaving company executives, officials inside the White House, and employees at a nonprofit who had helped broker the partnership between GM and Ventec flabbergasted.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he hopes the new Health Corps will increase the number of healthcare workers by thousands as the state prepares for an overwhelmed healthcare system.
California Rep. Ami Bera wants to see more federal control over things like purchasing and stockpiling medical supplies to meet the needs of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stocks are pushing higher on Wall Street, led by big gains for health care companies announcing developments that could aid in the coronavirus outbreak.
While expressing gratitude for federal support the state has received, Cuomo stressed that the city is not an "anomaly" but rather a "canary in the coal mine" for what the rest of the state and country will soon experience.
Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan sounded alarm as her state recorded the fourth highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Mike Leavitt, the former HHS Secretary under President George W. Bush, gave a word of support to the current health secretary regarding his response to the coronavirus pandemic.
