Coronavirus Was Slow to Spread to Rural America.  Not Anymore.  —  Feb. 20This map shows every rural county in America, areas where the coronavirus outbreak initially was slow to spread.  Humboldt County in Northern California was the first rural county to report a case, on Feb. 20, a month after the virus first reached the U.S.

John Prine, Who Chronicled the Human Condition in Song, Dies at 73  —  John Prine, Who Chronicled the Human Condition in Song, Dies  —  The songwriter with a raspy voice and an off-beat sense of humor was revered by the likes of Bob Dylan.  He was 73.  —  Albert Petrocelli, Fire Chief Who Lost a Son on 9/11, Is Dead at 73

Trump is desperately seeking to avoid blame  —  Trump removes watchdog who oversees coronavirus emergency fund  —  Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and author of the book “The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness.”  Follow her on Twitter.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely her own.

An Interview With the College Senior Behind the Iconic Photo of Wisconsin's Pandemic Election  —  Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers.  Subscribe to support our journalism.  Start your free trial.  —  Milwaukee residents waited between 90 minutes and 2½ hours …

Intelligence report warned of coronavirus crisis as early as November: Sources  —  “Analysts concluded it could be a cataclysmic event,” a source says.  —  As far back as late November, U.S. intelligence officials were warning that a contagion was sweeping through China's Wuhan region …

WHO denies being ‘China-centric’ after Trump comment  —  GENEVA (Reuters) - World Health Organization officials on Wednesday denied that the body was “China-centric” and said that the acute phase of a pandemic was not the time to cut funding, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would put contributions on hold.

How Delays and Unheeded Warnings Hindered New York's Virus Fight  —  The federal response was chaotic.  Even so, the state's and city's own initial efforts failed to keep pace with the outbreak, The Times found.  —  A 39-year-old woman took Flight 701 from Doha, Qatar …

With ventilators running out, doctors say the machines are overused for Covid-19  —  Even as hospitals and governors raise the alarm about a shortage of ventilators, some critical care physicians are questioning the widespread use of the breathing machines for Covid-19 patients …

Big banks took “free money' in 2008.  They're turning their back now on small businesses, SBA official says  —  “What they are saying is 'I don't give ... a hoot about the small businesses,' ” one SBA district director said in a candid call with business owners.

Texas City nursing home residents with coronavirus being treated with unproven hydroxychloroquine drug  —  The physician and nursing home medical director who prescribed the drug is a campaign surrogate for President Donald Trump.  —  *Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout.

Most Americans, unlike Trump, want mail-in ballots for November if coronavirus threatens: Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most Americans, including a majority of Republicans, want the government to require mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential election if the coronavirus …

Trump claims that his daughter created 10 percent of all the jobs in the United States  —  President Donald Trump speaks as his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump looks on during a news briefing on the coronavirus outbreak on March 20.  Alex Wong/Getty Images  —  Ivanka, the jobs wizard.

The White House chooses its own reality with freewheeling Trump briefings  —  First Read is your briefing from “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.  —  WASHINGTON — There's alternative facts, and then there's President …

41 Transit Workers Dead: Crisis Takes Staggering Toll on Subways  —  The M.T.A. has been criticized for its response to the outbreak.  Now a staffing shortage has made it difficult to keep even a diminished system running.  —  At least 41 transit workers have died, and more than 6,000 more have fallen sick or self-quarantined.

Nearly a Third of U.S. Renters Didn't Pay April Rent  —  Some tenants will be temporarily protected from eviction by a patchwork of federal and local laws  —  Nearly a third of U.S. apartment renters didn't pay any of their April rent during the first week of the month …

Hospitals say feds are seizing masks and other coronavirus supplies without a word  —  Although President Trump has directed states and hospitals to secure what supplies they can, the federal government is quietly seizing orders, leaving medical providers across the country in the dark …

In praise of Jonathan Karl or: The virtue of not being a self-important drama queen  —  In a sea of self-important buffoonery, ABC News's Jonathan Karl is an island.  —  On Monday, during a White House press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump berated Karl during a back-and-forth …

Stop Panicking About Joe Biden  —  In early April 1992, a news headline in The Wall Street Journal captured the depressed mood surrounding a certain presumptive presidential nominee: “Democratic Leaders Resignedly Begin to Rally Around Clinton for President.”  —  Resignedly.

Drop the Curtain on the Trump Follies  —  Why does the nation need to be subjected to the president's daily carnival of misinformation, preening and political venom?  —  Ms. Cottle is a member of the editorial board.  —  Even as the Trump administration slowly finds its footing in the war …

CNN Poll: Majority of Americans now say the federal government has done a poor job of preventing coronavirus spread  —  11 times Donald Trump downplayed the coronavirus  —  (CNN)A majority of Americans — 55% — now say the federal government has done a poor job preventing the spread …

The coronavirus is infecting and killing black Americans at an alarmingly high rate  —  The Washington Post is providing this story for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the coronavirus.  For more free stories, sign up for our daily Coronavirus Updates newsletter.

Ed Markey falling short of signatures ahead of May deadline  —  Harder to gather in-person support in coronavirus era  —  The e-mail subject line was notable for an incumbent United States senator: “Help get Ed on the ballot.”  —  That was the message the campaign of Edward J. Markey sent …

Why Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Flourish.  And Why It Matters.  —  Unseen villains.  Top-secret cures.  In their quest for reassurance during the pandemic, many people are worsening more than just their own anxiety.  —  The coronavirus has given rise to a flood of conspiracy theories …

Plain Dealer Put Out to Pasture.  In Final Death Blow, Remaining Reporters Given Impossible Choice  —  On the first workday after a brutal and debilitating round of layoffs at The Plain Dealer, Editor Tim Warsinskey delivered what will be the paper's final and cruelest blow.

The Far-Right Helped Create The World's Most Powerful Facial Recognition Technology  —  Clearview AI, which has alarmed privacy experts, hired several far-right employees, a HuffPost investigation found.  —  Advanced facial recognition technology poses a mortal threat to privacy.

Kushner's team seeks national coronavirus surveillance system  —  Critics worry about a Patriot Act for health care, raising concerns about patient privacy and civil liberties.  —  Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner during a daily White House coronavirus briefing.  Win McNamee/Getty Images

Dr. Birx sees encouraging signs, but warns people of second wave if they start going out  —  “What's really important is that people don't turn these early signs of hope into releasing from the 30 days to stop the spread — it's really critical,” she warned.