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The US Senate agreed a $2 trillion stimulus deal. If it passes a final vote in the House of Representatives on Friday, it would provide $350 billion for small-business loans, $250 billion for unemployment aid, and at least $100 billion for hospitals. Stocks rallied at the prospect. But is it going to be enough?
Not to be outdone, Canada passed a relief deal worth C$107 billion ($75 billion). The package will ensure C$2,000 a month for people who have lost their jobs, not been paid, or are quarantined/helping the sick.
One New York hospital saw 13 Covid-19 deaths in a single day. A doctor at Elmhurst, a public hospital in Queens, called the situation “apocalyptic.” Protective equipment for staff and beds for sick patients are in short supply across New York, the worst-hit area of the US so far.
The UN is asking for $2 billion to help conflict zones tackle the pandemic. During the past week, Syria, Libya, and Gaza all reported their first Covid-19 cases. The United Nations makes it clear that if the disease is not controlled in these places, it will affect all of us.
A missing FBI agent is now presumed dead. Robert Levinson disappeared in Iran 13 years ago while on an unauthorized CIA trip to gather intelligence on the nuclear program. On Wednesday, Levinson’s family said it had seen evidence from the US State Department suggesting he had died a while back.
Remote worker, homeschooler, sergeant—it’s a lot all at once. Mass school closures mean that many new remote workers have to be teachers, counsellors, and often, domestic saints. In Quartz’s next Remote Control workshop, parents will get expert advice on warding off chaos. Join us Thursday at 1pm EDT. (Quartz members will have access to the recording.)
Testing, testing
Scientists are at work on an immunity test. Finding out who’s had the coronavirus and is no longer susceptible will help answer big public health questions, and information from the “serologic” tests could help with treatment and even a vaccine.
Global regulators are divided over at-home tests. Authorities in the US and the UK have suggested that at-home tests carry the risk of inaccurate results—and have offered shifting guidance on what level of autonomy in testing is appropriate.
And anyway, the US lacks supplies. Every stage of the testing process demands a new set of highly-specialized items—each of which adds a potential bottleneck in capacity.
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Countless startups face going out of business. Advice from the experts—and past lessons learned—can help entrepreneurs respond to the coronavirus epidemic.
More experts, this time from McKinsey, can help you manage any crisis. Here are five tried-and-tested methods.
Tensions between the US and China are threatening global scientific progress. And now, more than ever, science is what we need.
Quartz daily obsession
Skeuomorphs are visual throwbacks. You’ve seen them if you’ve ever added an item to your “cart,” or dragged a file to your computer’s “recycle bin.” In digital design, the term refers to icons that hark back to what was once a necessary physical feature. But now, skeuomorphism itself is becoming obsolete. Take a trip down digital memory lane with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matter of debate
What are you going to wear after this apocalypse? Most people are in t-shirts and sweatpants these days, and following Nike this week, Lululemon is expecting decent Q4 results today. Women wore pants more regularly after World War II hurried them into the workforce, so we can reasonably expect a shift toward functional simplicity when this crisis is over.
Surprising discoveries
A street food vendor discovered a lost Mayan capital. His tip led to an excavation near the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
A German cathedral is preparing to display the patron saint of… epidemics. The relic’s name is Saint Corona.
The ozone layer is healing. It’s also changing the way the wind blows.
Home bakers have created an international yeast shortage. Shelves are empty, but stores say it’s temporary.
A 500 million-year-old worm offers a key to evolution. The organism is the earliest ever recorded with “bilateral symmetry”: its blueprint is in everything from dinosaurs to humans.
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