Good morning. I'm James Holman from The Washington Post and this is the Daily

202 for Tuesday, April 14th. In today's news, school closures could severely stunt the development of millions of poor children.

Patience are in pain and dentists are in distress. Untreated teeth are a growing problem and the

coronavirus ravages little Italy in New York.

But first, the big idea. As governors across the country fell into line in

recent weeks, South Dakota's top elected leader stood firm.

There would be no statewide order to stay home.

Such edicts to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Christie Nome said disparagingly reflected a herd mentality

that she wasn't going to go along with. It was up to individuals, not government,

to decide whether to exercise their right to work, to worship, and to play, or to even stay at home.

And besides, the former Congresswoman and first-term Republican told reporters just a week ago,

South Dakota is not New York City.

Well, now South Dakota is home to one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States,

with more than 300 workers at a giant pork

processing plant falling seriously ill.

With the case numbers continuing to spike in Sioux Falls, Smithfield was forced to announce the indefinite closure of the facility, which churns out

18 million servings of pork product per day.

Increasingly exasperated local leaders, public health experts and frontline medical workers are pleading with Nome to intervene with a more aggressive state response.

She continues to refuse to do so.

Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Tenhagen, another Republican,

has issued voluntary recommendations,

but he says in an interview that they're not enforceable

...