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Donald Trump considers expanding the travel ban. The US president said yesterday that travellers from China, Europe, and Iran remain blocked from entering the US, “and we may add a few more.” Canada and Mexico have already agreed to reduce border crossings to the US.
Oil prices reach an almost two-decade low. Barrels were already cheap because of a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia that started earlier this month. But with coronavirus creating a severe reduction in demand, prices fell below $20 on Monday.
Coronavirus is spreading most rapidly within ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel. The government is considering blockading people who refuse to comply with health advice. One ultra-Orthodox suburb in Tel Aviv is as badly hit as the entirety of Jerusalem.
Trump reverses the last piece of climate policy left by Obama. The environment and transport departments are announcing new rules today to relax fuel standards, allowing vehicles to emit almost a billion tons more carbon dioxide than under the previous rules.
The corporate response
Ford and General Electric pair up to produce ventilators in the US. The auto giant is collaborating with GE’s healthcare division to produce 50,000 over the next 100 days. One is already being used in New York.
There could be further strikes by gig workers. They continue to report shortages of protective gear and cleaning supplies, even as they have to work more due to the pandemic.
The US wants India to ease up on drug export restrictions. American health care relies heavily on India for its pharmaceutical supply chain, and now faces serious shortages.
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The tech industry will recover faster than we do. As factories in China reopen, the biggest threat to global industries, including consumer electronics, is shifting from supply chain disruption to the coming recession.
Podcast listening fell in March. More Americans are staying home for some reason, and skipping their commutes.
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Platypuses are mammals that share genes with reptiles and birds, lay eggs, and sport venomous spurs. Their hybrid genetic makeup has astonished scientists for centuries. But climate change threatens them. Be your own strange self with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matter of debate
Gaps in US health care are further exposed by fashion’s assistance. “We have lost our ability to make the things we need. The fact that we’ve got 10 companies turning themselves upside down that make underwear and t-shirts to fix the medical-mask problem is crazy.”
Surprising discoveries
Submarine crews probably don’t know about the pandemic. Any news that could hurt their morale is kept secret for the length of their 60-day deployment.
Thieves stole a van Gogh painting under cover of Covid. The piece vanished from a closed Dutch museum.
With all major soccer leagues cancelled in Europe, fans are turning to Belarus. The country has refused to stop playing.
Sales of puzzles are booming in the US. “Every day is like Cyber Monday but bigger.”
Scientists are using ice sheds to understand medieval climate conditions. They’re also using them to get clues about the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170.
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