The Federal Reserve has taken unprecedented steps to lessen the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global financial markets and the U.S. economy. Beginning with an emergency interest-rate cut announced March 3, the Fed has run through its 2008-09 crisis playbook and leapt into uncharted territory. The steps include massive bond purchases, a slew of emergency facilities to bolster credit markets, actions with foreign central banks to ease the supply of dollars world wide and programs for lending directly to American businesses. Here is a summary of those steps: Rate Cuts After a half-point cut on March 3, the ... (full story)