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What to watch for today and over the weekend
The US tests passengers in a cruise ship near California for coronavirus. A man who travelled with the Grand Princess last month died from Covid-19, and some current passengers are showing symptoms. Only 45 people out of the 3,500 on board were selected for testing on Thursday. Meanwhile in Florida, Mike Pence meets cruise ship executives.
Elizabeth Warren considers whom to endorse. Her supporters are split between the two remaining top candidates for the Democratic nomination—Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. “Let’s take a deep breath,” she said yesterday, after ending her presidential campaign, “we don’t have to decide right this minute.”
People gather around the world on Sunday to march for women’s rights. In China, if their employees respect the law, women get a half-day off; in Pakistan, women are allowed to march, but have been told not to violate “moral values;” and in Kazakhstan, the president cancelled events due to coronavirus.
The US publishes employment numbers. Economists expect that the US economy gained 175,000 new jobs in February. This report could be the last healthy one for a while if there is a global economic slowdown caused by coronavirus.
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Coronavirus spread across the US. Now 13 states have Covid-19 infections, after cases in Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas brought the country’s total to 225, with 12 deaths. Congress approved $8.3 billion for containment, and the White House admitted the US doesn’t have enough test kits.
San Francisco announced its first infections as tech firms went remote. Two people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the city on Thursday. Facebook and Alphabet recommended that staff work from home, while Microsoft said two employees tested positive.
Saudi Arabia reopened Islam’s holiest sites. It closed mosques in Mecca and Medina after Covid-19 infections started to increase in the Middle East last week. The sites have been sterilized. It’s unclear if the country is also lifting a ban on foreign pilgrims.
Turkey and Russia reached a ceasefire. Following a meeting between leaders of the two countries in Moscow, the announcement freezes the advance by Russia-backed Syrian forces in Idlib province, where almost a million people have been displaced.
Shares in India’s Yes Bank tanked. They fell 85% after the country’s central bank announced it would take over the company’s board and halt operations, at least temporarily. India’s fifth-largest private lender failed to raise sufficient capital to offset a rise in bad loans.
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Quartz daily obsession
The slow wear-and-tear of toxic stress. When a child faces constant stress, from neglect, or abuse, or living in chaos, it may derail normal development. Figuring out how to address stressors before that happens is one of the biggest questions in the field of childhood development. Take a breath, then read the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
It’s “the apex of weak thought.” Ignoring a type of smooth pasta, that is, as a run on grocery stores in Italy boils over into a debate about noodles, sauce, culture, and life.
Is it a pandemic? Does it matter?
Don’t ask sports coaches about public health issues. “My opinion doesn’t matter,” says Jürgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool Football Club.
Surprising discoveries
Around 300 million children are off school because of coronavirus. But it might accelerate the progress of e-learning.
An Indian scientist literally traveled with clouds. Sandeep Pattnaik is trying to understand monsoons.
A Hermès bag is a better investment than art. One-year returns on the coveted Birkin bags beat out other alternative investments by a large margin.
Prefer tea over coffee, or vice versa? It could be genetic, a study suggests.
Tulsi Gabbard is still running for president. She is campaigning in Las Vegas this weekend, at a town hall organized by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
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