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Morning Briefing: Local Calm, Federal Confusion
It's a quiet weekend locally, as much of L.A. adjusts to new recommendations to wear homemade face masks when going out. On the federal front, though, President Donald Trump made remarks that surprised some experts during his daily briefing — including suggesting that he "might take" hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that hasn’t been approved by the FDA for the virus.
THE PAST 24 HOURS:
L.A., California, The World: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Saturday confirmed 711 new cases of the coronavirus and 28 new deaths, which did not include the first two reported in Pasadena. That brings county totals to 5,325 cases and 119 deaths. The U.S. is reporting 290,000 cases, and the worldwide count has surpassed 1.1 million.
Community: The YMCA will soon open nine of their locations for people experiencing homelessness to use for showers and restrooms.
Sports: Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant is among nine new members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Gov. Gaving Newsom said he doesn’t anticipate the NFL season starting on time this fall (note: this question came up because Trump has been actively talking to the heads of all major sports about when they can go back to work.)
Federal Updates: The federal government unveiled the first detailed national system for tracking the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. During a White House press briefing, President Donald Trump said that he “might take” hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that hasn’t been approved by the FDA for the virus.
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Fact check: Another week of White House news briefings has come and gone. Here's a reality check on the president's statements.
YOUR (MUCH-NEEDED) MOMENT OF ZEN:
A tree —decorated with Chinese lanterns — blooms tree is at the closed Thien Hau Temple in the L.A's Chinatown neighborhood.
(Damian Dovarganes/AP)
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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