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Boris Johnson update
The UK prime minister spent the night in intensive care. He is not on a ventilator, but he did receive oxygen support. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab is in charge of daily affairs, but the UK has no clear succession plan and there are concerns about its continuing coronavirus response.
Good news, bad news
Numbers are falling in coronavirus hotspots around the world. China reported no new deaths for the first time since January, while Italy and Spain registered lower rates of new cases, as some European nations started planning how to ease lockdowns. New York, New Jersey, and Louisiana also saw signs that their outbreaks are plateauing.
But the US has yet to experience the peak. A statistical model by the University of Washington shows that the highest number of daily deaths could happen on April 16. It also indicates that social distancing measures seem to be working, projecting a number of total deaths, about 82,000, that is lower than its previous forecast.
And the situation is still worsening in many places. France registered more than 830 deaths in one day, a record since its outbreak started in January. Japan is seeing a steady rise in cases in key areas, including Tokyo and Osaka, and is set to announce a state of emergency.
American politics
Legislators are starting to sketch the next rescue package. House speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats that it should be worth at least $1 trillion. The US is already throwing $2.2 trillion in. Senate leader Mitch McConnell wants to prioritize health care.
The Wisconsin primary is still on. The state’s Democrat governor tried to postpone the vote, but the state’s conservative Supreme Court blocked the move. Now voters will have to decide if they want to break social distancing rules to pick between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Tech update
Samsung expects a profit increase in the first quarter. Computer manufacturers and data centers are buying more chips from the company, to power a growing army of remote workers and streaming watchers. It outweighs falling gadget sales.
Months after the start of the pandemic, WhatsApp acts on misinformation. The Facebook-owned tool is reducing the number of forwards on popular messages from five to one to try and curb the fake coronavirus cures and conspiracy theories that fester the chat tool.
Foxconn sales slumped between January and March. The iPhone maker reported a revenue drop of 12% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2019. The company has reopened some of its factories and now expects to be at full capacity by the end of the month.
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Quartz membership
Gen Z is the first generation to bypass traditional cultural gatekeepers, defining their own tastes, trends, and values. Our latest field guide explores the implications for the way this generation shops and spends, even as the coronavirus pandemic shifts the stakes.
This is how to care for your mental health during the coronavirus quarantine. Watch and learn.
Quartz daily obsession
Everyone sneezes, but we don’t all sneeze the same way. English speakers tend to say “Achoo!” The Japanese favor “Hakashun!” But the deaf say nothing at all. Cover your nose, wash your hands, and join us for the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matter of debate
To quib or not to quib? The original pitch for Quibi, a new video app that launched on Monday, was that young people would pay a few bucks per month for premium original content designed to be watched on their phones in “quick bites” (hence its name). But can it succeed?
Surprising discoveries
An orangutan became a hygiene influencer. Our evolutionary ancestor scrubs its hands for more than 20 seconds.
The Versailles palace is replanting Marie Antoinette’s grove. The queen, who told them to eat brioche, wanted a personal space in the public gardens.
People in the UK are burning 5G towers. They somehow think it’s a coronavirus conspiracy.
The Great Barrier Reef suffered its third mass bleaching event in five years. Scientists blame global warming.
Coronavirus helped two pandas to mate. They live in a closed-down Hong Kong zoo that had been trying to get them to do it for 10 years.
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