Today’s Headlines and Commentary

The novel coronavirus is close to becoming a pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal. The WHO generally defines a pandemic as a disease that has become widespread around the world.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Monday that Italy would restrict freedom of movement, locking down the entire country in an attempt to contain the novel coronavirus, reports the Washington Post. Italians will be permitted to travel only for essential work, health reasons or other emergencies—an unprecedented restriction in Italy during peacetime.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that everyone arriving in Israel will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of COVID-19, writes the BBC. Canada reported its first coronavirus death yesterday as the number of people in the country who have contracted the disease rose to above 70, reports Reuters.

The Grand Princess cruise ship—the site of a known outbreak of COVID-19—pulled into port in Oakland, Calif., yesterday, according to the Post. American passengers will be transported to military bases in California, Texas and Georgia for quarantine.

President Trump moved to address the economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak on Monday by announcing that he would work with Congress on a payroll tax cut and legislation to protect hourly wage earners who miss work because of the virus, writes the New York Times. March 9 saw the worst stock market drop in more than a decade.

Rep. Mark Meadows, who is set to become President Trump’s next acting chief of staff, will self-quarantine at his home after learning that he may have come into contact with a person who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus, reports the Hill. The commander of the U.S. Army forces in Europe and his staff may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus during a recent conference, according to Reuters. A Marine who tested positive for COVID-19 had been working for a defense agency close to the Pentagon, officials said yesterday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the quarantined city of Wuhan today for the first time since the novel coronavirus was identified there, reports the Journal.

The Russian government has stepped up efforts to inflame racial tensions in the United States in an attempt to influence November’s presidential election, including new methods aimed at inciting violence by white supremacist groups, writes the Times.

The State Department is pushing to take the unprecedented step of designating at least one violent white supremacist group as a foreign terrorist organization, reports Politico. Former U.S. officials and counterterrorism analysts say the top candidate for the designation is Atomwaffen, a neo-Nazi group that was founded in the United States but has expanded in the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. State Department officials want to have the designation finalized by next week.

Hundreds of American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, reports the Associated Press. The drawdown comes as Afghanistan’s rival political leaders were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies on Sunday. The Taliban have sent vehicles to be ready to collect fighters expected to be released by the Afghan government in a prisoner exchange, writes Reuters. The Taliban said they will honor the deal by handing over 1,000 government troops.

Kim Jong Un personally oversaw Monday’s firing drills, including the launch of what appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles for the second time in a week, according to Reuters.

House leaders are zeroing in on a bipartisan deal to reauthorize expiring pieces of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but no final agreement has been reached, reports Politico.

American military commanders are reviewing how their forces conduct missions in Iraq and Syria following the deaths of two U.S. Special Operations troops on Sunday during an operation against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, writes the Times. The review will examine how U.S. forces advise and accompany local troops.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

William Ford summarized hearings on federal responses to the coronavirus held by congressional homeland security committees.

Robert Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared the most recent episode of the National Security Law Podcast.

Paul Miller argued that the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement is a lopsided, bad deal for Afghanistan.

Robert Chesney analyzed a speech by the Defense Department’s general counsel on the law of military operations in cyberspace.

Peter Harrell examined whether the U.S. could sanction the International Criminal Court.

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