Fed slashes rates to near zero, eases bank lending rules

By Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press
The Federal Reserve took emergency action Sunday and slashed its benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point to nearly zero and announced it would purchase more Treasury securities to encourage lending to try to offset the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
The central bank said the effects of the outbreak will weigh on economic activity in the near term and pose risks to the economic outlook.
The central bank said it will keep rates at nearly