Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

Trump Administration Expands Travel Ban To UK And Ireland

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the press briefing room at the White House on Saturday. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Top news out of today's news briefing:

The U.S. is extending the current ban on travel from Europe to include the U.K. and Ireland, effective midnight Monday.

The travel ban does not apply to American citizens, legal permanent residents, their immediate families, and certain others. These people will be channeled through one of 13 airports equipped to do special screening.

Speaking at the White House, President Trump said he's also considering domestic travel restrictions in response to the spread of coronavirus.

Support for LAist comes from

"If you don't have to travel, I wouldn't do it," Trump said. "We want this thing to end. We don't want a lot of people getting infected."

Trump left a lot of the details to others, but as he initially moved to leave the room, reporters shouted questions. He stayed at the lectern and told the room that he'd had his temperature taken before coming into the room. [Reporters responded that they did too.] He also said he'd been tested for COVID-19 yesterday.

Asked about sending mixed messages yesterday by shaking hands and having multiple people touch the microphone, Trump called it a habit.

He said that before running for office he was never a hand shaker (he's known for being a germaphobe) and he said he thought it might make sense for that ritual to stop long-term, citing the common flu and other illnesses.

At the start of the news conference, he called out California for working well with his administration — a sharp contrast to how he usually talks about the state.

He said he would use the "full power of the federal government to defeat this virus."

He also called his decision to declare a national emergency on Friday a "very big deal," because it allows for the use of billions of dollars in aid.

Support for LAist comes from

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke later in the news conference and cautioned that the U.S. has not reached a peak of cases. He said steps taken this week should make a difference in how effective doctors will be treating patients.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS:

WATCH THE NEWS CONFERENCE:

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist