promoearn: North Italy is on lockdown

Sunday, March 8

A woman wearing a face mask stands in a subway train in Milan, Italy on March 5, 2020. The focal point of the coronavirus emergency in Europe, Italy, is also the region's weakest economy and is taking an almighty hit as foreigners stop visiting its cultural treasures or buying its prized artisanal products, from fashion to food to design. EuropeÕs third-largest economy has long been among the slowest growing in the region and is the one that is tallying the largest number of virus infections outside Asia.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

President Trump announces new chief of staff. Kamala Harris endorses Joe Biden. Coronavirus death toll in U.S. climbs to 21. Here's the weekend's biggest news.

North Italy is on lockdown. A quarantine site collapsed. And say no to crowds, long trips and cruise ships.

Vast swaths of northern Italy were essentially locked down in 15 provinces — home to more than a quarter of Italy's 60 million people — Sunday as the coronavirus continues to sweep across the nation at an alarming rate. Italy's death toll rose to 366 on Sunday, and more than 7,300 infections have been confirmed. In Rome, the Vatican announced that it will shut down its museums and the Sistine Chapel until April 3.

In the United States, the death toll climbed to 21 this weekend, with all but three fatalities in Washington state. More than 500 infections have been reported, but the number is rising almost as fast as tests for the virus can be conducted.

•	President Donald Trump said he is not worried by the arrival of the coronavirus in the Washington area, even after it was confirmed that an infected man was at a conference the president attended just outside the capital city.
•	Immunologist Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, outlined what Americans at home can do to help prevent the spread of coronavirus: "Say no crowds, no long trips and above all, don't get on a cruise ship."
•	The Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California will begin to allow guests to disembark Monday, three days after 21 people aboard tested positive for coronavirus.
•	Another ship owned by the Princess Cruises line, the Regal Princess, was being held off the coast of Florida Sunday as the ship waits for test results on whether two crew members have contracted the new coronavirus.

In China, a hotel that was being used as a coronavirus quarantine site collapsed with about 80 people trapped inside. At least 10 people died and 23 remain missing as first responders in Beijing sift through the debris.

In other COVID-19 news:

•	"Scary for everybody": This is what it's like in Seattle and King County, areas under siege from the coronavirus.
•	Tesla CEO Elon Musk thinks the coronavirus panic is "dumb." A million Twitter users liked his tweet.
•	"Put it in God's hands": As coronavirus spreads, Catholics have changed their worship practices.
•	Coronavirus a concern in nursing homes, where 75% have been cited for infection control errors.

The world celebrates International Women's Day

Gender equality is good for the economy – that is the message organizers of International Women's Day 2020 hope to trumpet on Sunday . Gender parity in government, workplaces, health care, sports and media coverage is achievable through collective action, organizers say. They hope this year's theme, #EachforEqual, will inspire others to challenge biases, question stereotypes and celebrate the achievements of women around the world. Ahead of the day, Duchess Meghan made a surprise stop at a London school in support of gender equity. Meghan's visit commemorated Britain's 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act in 1970, which prohibited workplace discrimination against women .

•	Google updated its homepage to spotlight women coming together throughout history to fight for gender equality. If you click on the drawing, you can play an animated video that shows the contributions women have made over the course of history.

Aerial view showing the march on International Women's Day in Santiago, on March 8, 2020. Protests, strikes and studies -- people around the globe are taking action to mark International Women's Day and to push for action to to obtain equality.

JAVIER TORRES, AFP via Getty Images

Kamala Harris endorses Joe Biden; Rev. Jesse Jackson to endorse Bernie Sanders

Sen. Kamala Harris is endorsing Joe Biden for president. And Rev. Jesse Jackson is endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders. Harris joins a string of former presidential candidates to endorse Biden this week, including Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar . "I have decided that I am, with great enthusiasm, going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States," Harris said. When asked about Harris' endorsement of Biden, Sanders said it was "no secret" that his campaign "was not going to get the support of most elected leaders. Not most governors, not most senators." The Sanders campaign also released a statement from Jackson detailing why he believes the Vermont senator is the best candidate for the presidency, including supporting a soon-to-be proposed constitutional amendment to help prevent voter suppression.

Sen. Kamala Harris, who ended her run in December 2019, had some celebrity supporters as well.

Chris Carlson, AP

Real quick

•	Saudi officials arrest members of the royal family for allegedly plotting to oust King Salman and the son he has designated to succeed him.
•	Nick Tucci, the actor known for his roles in "You're Next" and "Long Lost," has died at age 38.
•	'They're still coming in': Thousands of volunteers deploy in Nashville for massive tornado cleanup effort.

Human remains believed to be missing Tennessee toddler found

Authorities have found remains they believe belong to Evelyn Boswell, a 15-month-old Tennessee girl who vanished sometime in December, but wasn't reported missing by her family until mid-February . Authorities said they discovered remains Friday on property owned by a relative of the toddler's mother, Megan Boswell. The remains will be sent for an autopsy and official identification, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed. A suspect in the child's apparent death has yet to be publicly named.

•	Missing Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell was born into family racked by chaos, violence.

Trump announces North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows as White House chief of staff

Out with acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, in with North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows . Late Friday night, President Donald Trump announced the shake up in the key White House role as the president continues his push to appoint trusted allies to top jobs and to push out others whose allegiance has been questioned. In a statement, Meadows applauded the "incredible victories" of Trump's first three years and said he looked forward to "helping build on that success." As for Mulvaney, Trump thanked him for "having served the Administration so well" and announced he would become the U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.