Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. MARCH 10, 2020

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Members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration are set to meet with congressional leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss a payroll tax cut as part of efforts to provide “substantial relief” to businesses and individuals who suffer financially as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell makes the first telephone call in his Boston, Mass., laboratory. During the brief call, the Scottish-born inventor famously summoned his assistant, Thomas A. Watson, who was in another room, saying “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you.” Bell had received a patent on his telephone just three days before the call. He subsequently displayed his invention at exhibitions in Boston and Philadelphia, and in October, he made a two-mile call from Boston to Cambridgeport. (Photo: Bell at the opening of the long-distance line from New York to Chicago in 1892)

In 2016, Michigan gave Sen. Bernie Sanders one of the most surprising primary wins in U.S. political history. In 2020, the self-described democratic socialist will need another boost from Michigan to revive his campaign to secure the Democratic presidential nomination over his lone remaining major rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

The U.S. Secret Service is warning Americans to be on the lookout for coronavirus-linked scams saying that “any major news event can become an opportunity for groups or individuals with malicious intentions.”

VIDEO: As food makes its way from farm to table, more and more consumers are asking questions about traceability. For some, genetic modification, environmental impact and social responsibility are factors as important as taste. To make the food supply chain more transparent, IBM is using blockchain, the same technology that underpins Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions.

Officials in Afghanistan say a presidential decree is expected to be issued Tuesday that would set in motion the process of releasing thousands of Taliban prisoners as the U.S. military begins a troop drawdown in the country—steps outlined in a deal with the Islamist insurgent group aimed at ending the nearly 19-year-old war.