Emergency: The Federal Reserve slashed the benchmark U.S. interest rate by half a percentage point this morning, the biggest cut since the financial crisis and a sign that global central banks are prepared to act to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus COVID-19. The U.S. central bank has not made an emergency cut like this since 2008. Fed Chair Jerome Powell plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. to discuss the rare move. Read the full story.
Guidelines: ExxonMobil called for tighter regulation of the greenhouse gas methane and offered up its own in-house rules as a model for companies and lawmakers worldwide this morning, and some of its recommendations are policies that have been rolled back by the Trump administration, Reuters reports. ExxonMobil is expected to fully detail its climate goals at its annual investor meeting Thursday. Read the full story.
Safety precaution: In a letter sent to parents, St. Joseph’s Academy says it will not allow a group of students and teachers who recently returned from a Mardi Gras break trip in Italy to attend school or school-related functions for 14 days. The school says this is a precaution because of the COVID-19 cases in Italy, however none of the St. Joseph’s students or teachers has exhibited any symptoms.
