The White House orders General Motors to manufacture ventilators to help handle the surge of coronavirus patients. The $2 trillion relief package passed by Congress is meant to flush the economy with cash, but much of the money will take weeks to arrive. The governor of Alabama won’t issue
The United States overtakes China to have the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world. China will no longer accept most foreign citizens into the country. In Nepal, hundreds of trekkers are stranded on high-altitude mountain trails. Related/unrelated: Virtual reconstructions of Europe’s fortified past. Smartphone
"We will survive. This is a time to overprotect but not overreact." That discomfort we’re all feeling just might be grief. A chart about St. Louis's response to the 1918 flu pandemic shows how ending social distancing now will only make things worse. Thanks to
Nobel-winning economist Paul Romer: If we screen the public on a weekly basis and boost protective equipment, we can save the economy. One Harvard economist’s proposal for social insurance: monthly payments that last the entire pandemic. The White House and Senate lawmakers reached a $2-trillion stimulus deal.
Authorities are planning to lift the mass quarantine on Wuhan, where the global coronavirus outbreak began. Meanwhile, the UK becomes the latest country to go into lockdown. Sweden is trying a “laissez-faire” model. Trump says he may soon push businesses to reopen, defying the advice of coronavirus experts. A
In the absence of meaningful national leadership, the public’s response to the coronavirus “will stand as a remarkable moment of national mobilization.” Regarding leadership: Mr. Trump is no stranger to crisis. He has spent a lifetime grappling with bankruptcy, fending off creditors, evading tax collectors, defending lawsuits, deflecting regulators,
Related: An excellent round-up of links and news (COVID and other) from the past week in Africa. A nice comic by Laura Gao, "The Wuhan I Know," about her hometown. This is how we can beat the coronavirus: “If we screen everyone, and do so regularly, we
California governor says citizens should stay at home indefinitely. Los Angeles goes one step further and requires its citizens to stay home. Let’s strive for physical rather than social distancing; social isolation has the equivalent adverse impact on physical health to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. See also: An
The latest updates on the coronavirus from the Guardian, the Boston Globe, Buzzfeed News. A ray of hope: For the first time since the pandemic began, China announces no new locally transmitted infections. Financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin spent the week talking to people behind other bailouts and came up
For news round-ups on the coronavirus, try the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, or the BBC. We also like updates from Andy Slavitt. Internet providers such as AT&T and Verizon are on high alert for dramatic changes in home internet consumption. Scientists warn we may need
