Russia and Turkey call a truce in Syria

Russia and Turkey agree on a ceasefire; a Maryland lawmaker pushes for less single-family housing. An editorial note: We're trying something new with Sentences — every Tuesday and Friday, we'll lead with an update on the coronavirus outbreak before getting to the rest of the day's news. Have thoughts? Email us at newsletter@vox.com. Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS Test kit shortages spell trouble for the US - In California and elsewhere in the US, a severe shortage of coronavirus test kits is worrying public health officials. The lack of widespread testing could make it harder to identify and stop the spread. [[LA Times / Emily Baumgaertner and Soumya Karlamangla](] - And the virus is spreading: On Friday, there were 200-plus cases in the US, and the death toll in hard-hit Washington state mounted to 14. [[New York Times](] - Also on Friday, President Donald Trump signed an $8.3 billion emergency funding package to address the coronavirus outbreak. The bill includes $1.25 billion in funding for international efforts to combat the virus. [[Roll Call](] - As the outbreak in the US worsens, markets have plunged. On Friday, the Dow declined by more than 250 points; other key economic indicators also declined. [[Washington Post / Thomas Heath](] - While the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Iran, Italy, and South Korea, the number of cases and fatalities reported has begun to decline in China — a possible sign that the worst of the outbreak there has passed. [[Vox / Julia Belluz](] - For all of Vox's coverage of the outbreak and its effects, visit our coronavirus guide. [[Vox](] TOP NEWS Russia and Turkey reach a tense ceasefire agreement in Syria Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images - In northwest Syria, a fragile Russia-Turkey ceasefire is holding — for now. The agreement follows weeks of escalating violence that culminated in Turkey shooting down three Syrian jets and killing thousands of Syrian soldiers in retaliation for a deadly airstrike last week. [[Washington Post / Isabelle Khurshudyan and Sarah Dadouch](] - Russia has been a longtime backer of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, including in the Syrian regime’s recent attempt to retake the rebel-held Idlib province. A ceasefire should help head off the risk of a direct Russia-Turkey conflict. [[AP / Vladimir Isachenkov and Suzan Fraser](] - It also creates a “safety corridor” along a major highway, while freezing in place some of the territory the Syrian regime has reclaimed in Idlib. Both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have indicated interest in further negotiations to address the crisis. [[Guardian / Andrew Roth](] - However, the truce’s longtime prospects are dubious: “Any ceasefire arrangement in Idlib, unless it has a no-fly zone dimension, is bound to fail,” one expert told Al Jazeera. “Deals in the past never de-escalated. They merely froze the crisis until the next escalation.” [[Al Jazeera](] - And while the fighting is now on hold, it’s already had massive consequences: Since December, around 1 million Syrians have been displaced, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in nine years of war. [[Vox / Jen Kirby](] - Those refugees have been trapped between Syrian regime forces and the closed Turkish border; shortages of food and shelter, as well as frigid winter weather, have made conditions even worse, and in some cases, children are dying of exposure. [[NYT / Vivian Yee and Hwaida Saad](] In Maryland, a possible solution to the housing crisis - Housing shortages are a problem in many parts of the country, including the DC area, and the Maryland legislature thinks it might have a solution: Rezoning some areas that currently allow only single-family homes. [[WAMU / Ally Schweitzer](] - Maryland Del. Vaughn Stewart, the leading proponent of the rezoning bill, has also introduced legislation that would provide funding for public housing and create new rights for tenants. [[CityLab / Kriston Capps](] - It’s part of a growing trend across the US. While many cities right now are zoned primarily for detached single-family homes, city and state governments, as well as Democratic presidential candidates, are beginning to reconsider those policies. [[NYT / Emily Badger and Quoctrung Bui](] - In Oregon, the state legislature already took the leap: Last year, it eliminated single-family zoning in much of the state, clearing the way for denser housing like townhouses or apartments. [[Oregon Public Broadcasting / Jeff Mapes](] - But while advocates of Maryland’s bill — which would be less sweeping than the Oregon law — say it would help reduce rent, among other benefits, some lawmakers are worried that the legislation could “usurp local authority.” [[NPR / Ally Schweitzer](] MISCELLANEOUS “Pack your things, Bibi. You're going home”: How Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future took a sharp turn for the worse following Israel’s third election in a year on Monday [[Daily Beast / Noga Tarnopolsky](] - PSA: Daylight saving time begins Sunday. Reset your clocks, mourn your lost hour of sleep, and then get ready for more sunlight after work. [[Vox / Brian Resnick](] - Following a public outcry and employee walkouts, Hachette will no longer publish a memoir by Woody Allen, who has been credibly accused of sexual assault by his adoptive daughter. [[Vox / Constance Grady](] - The next Mars rover has a name: Perseverance. It was suggested by Virginia seventh-grader as part of an essay contest. [[NYT / Kenneth Chang](] CROSSWORD OF THE DAY [Can you solve today's crossword?]( What’s a six-letter word to describe Glamdring, Dramborleg, and Grond in Tolkien's Middle-earth? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle](, and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. VERBATIM “Usually for an acquisition for a celebrity memoir that isn’t written by someone as deeply problematic and terrible, [we would know] as soon as the contract was signed. ... Obviously, they must’ve known that they were doing something wrong, because they didn’t tell anybody when it was acquired.” [[A Hachette employee on the publisher's acquisition of Woody Allen's now-canceled memoir / Slate](] LISTEN TO THIS [Thus far, the United States hasn't been doing the best job of testing for the novel coronavirus.]( Thus far, the United States hasn't been doing the best job of testing for the novel coronavirus. [[Spotify / Sean Rameswaram and Caroline Chen](] [Read more from Vox](#) [Here’s what happens to delegates after their candidates drop out]( [Trump: “We’ll be cutting” entitlement programs. White House: He didn’t really mean that.]( [Elizabeth Warren’s exit interview is a warning for the dirtbag left]( [“The party needed an intervention and the voters staged it”]( [Joe Biden’s new plan to end the opioid epidemic is the most ambitious in the field]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. 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