What you need to know
A couple kisses at the Barcelona airport on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the coronavirus for weeks, suddenly struck a different tone Wednesday evening, announcing strict rules on restricting travel from much of Europe to begin this weekend. (Emilio Morenatti / The Associated Press)
Wild night: In a short period of time last night, U.S. President Donald Trump announced strict rules on travel from much of Europe, the NBA announced a played has COVID-19 and suspended the season indefinitely, and celebrity couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they have the virus. READ MORE
Hockey world watching: The NHL said it will make an announcement today in the wake of the NBA’s decision. The Jets beat the Edmonton Oilers in their first of three scheduled games on the road last night, but it’s not clear if they will finish the trip. Mike McIntyre reports. READ MORE
Councillor’s wife cleared: Transcona Coun. Shawn Nason, whose wife, Jennifer Maw, put herself in isolation after being tested for COVID-19, announced last night the results are negative. “Thanks to those that took time to reach out and be better informed on this matter,” he tweeted. Here’s our earlier story on Maw. READ MORE
Impact on Indigenous people: In his latest column, Niigaan Sinclair says First Nations and the federal government learned from the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, but the same risk factors, including housing conditions, remain. READ MORE
No at-home testing: Manitoba has no immediate plans to introduce at-home testing for people with coronavirus symptoms, something other provincial governments are working to introduce. Malak Abas reports. READ MORE
Weather
Your forecast: Cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of flurries, a daytime low of -2 C and high of 0 C, wind at 20 km/h increasing to 40 km/h this afternoon and gusting to 60, and wind chill as low as -11 this afternoon. READ MORE
What’s happening today
Manitoba premier Brian Pallister speaks to media after the tabling of his party’s provincial budget was filibustered by the opposition NDP at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The Manitoba government is to try again today to introduce its budget after the Opposition blocked it from being tabled. (John Woods / The Canadian Press)
Budget blocked: The Tory government said it will again try to present the provincial budget after the NDP used procedural delays in the legislature Wednesday. NDP Leader Wab Kinew said his party was seeking to stall a large number of bills from being introduced. Premier Brian Pallister has since cancelled a trip to Ottawa, and a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce breakfast event with Finance Minister Scott Fielding has been cancelled. Larry Kusch and Carol Sanders report. READ MORE
Talking to Trudeau: National Indigenous leaders will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and most of Canada’s premiers in Ottawa. Métis National Council vice-president and Manitoba Metis Federation leader David Chartrand is among the participants. READ MORE
In case you missed it
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free PressIllinois-based alt rockers, Wilco, brought their “Ode to Joy” tour to the Centennial Concert Hall Wednesday evening.
Concert review: Erin Lebar has a review of last night’s Wilco show at the Centennial Concert Hall. The Chicago-based alt-rock band didn’t disappoint. READ MORE
Cold case killing: Ethicist and Prof. Arthur Schafer said the RCMP’s decision to announce an arrest in a 2003 homicide but release the suspect without laying charges undermines confidence in police. “It seems amateurish and makes them seem incompetent,” he said. Kevin Rollason reports. READ MORE
On this date
On March 12, 1985: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that Mikhail Gorbachev had been elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which made him the USSR’s last head of state. The president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba resigned over the college’s decision to relicense Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who had said he intended to perform abortions in his Winnipeg clinic when it reopened later in the month. READ MORE
Today’s front page
Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Winnipeg Free Press READ MORE
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