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Oil producers reached an unprecedented agreement. Nearly two dozen countries committed to collectively withholding 9.7 million barrels a day from global markets. Plunging demand due to the pandemic—along with a Russia-Saudi feud—have devastated prices.
The US overtook Italy in coronavirus deaths. America has officially registered more than 21,300 Covid-19 fatalities, the most in the world. The real number is likely much higher—New York has seen a surge in deaths at home.
Racial tensions flared between China and Africa. Following reports of black migrants being mistreated in Guangzhou after months of lockdown, Chinese ambassadors were summoned in Nigeria, Ghana, and elsewhere. The US advised African-Americans to steer clear of the city.
Indonesia imposed curbs on public transport. Trains, buses, ships, and planes will be allowed to fill only half their seats in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19. Java is the world’s most populous island, and an annual exodus to home villages occurs next month.
Shinzo Abe took flak for a video. The Japanese prime minister tweeted a clip of himself lounging on a sofa with a cup of tea and his dog while urging citizens to stay home during the pandemic. Critics saw it as tone-deaf and insensitive to people who are struggling to survive.
Apple and Google are partnering on contact-tracing. They’ll enable third-party smartphone apps from health authorities that can notify users (who opt in) of potential Covid-19 exposures. The apps will use Bluetooth rather than GPS, which will allay some but not all privacy concerns.
Boris Johnson emerged from the hospital. Last week the British prime minister spent three nights in intensive care as he struggled with Covid-19. Upon being discharged he said it “could have gone either way,” as the UK’s death toll surpassed 10,000.
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The pandemic is breathing new life into Kraft Heinz. The maker of Cool Whip, Mac & Cheese, and other processed foods has seen sales slump as newly health-conscious Americans rethink their diets. But after weeks of isolation and anxiety, consumers are turning to caloric, sodium-rich comfort foods, and Kraft stock is up for the first time in months.
Matter of debate
Instacart workers deserve better. The US grocery-delivery startup is seeing a surge in demand from customers eager to offload the risky task of in-store shopping to gig workers. But, Quartz’s Ali Griswold argues, Instacart and some its customers are mistreating the contractors right when their service is most essential.
Surprising discoveries
Coronavirus lockdown is a boon to childrens’ music. Kidz Bop has seen a spike in streaming, even as stars like Cardi B watch their numbers fall.
Digital hoarders are stockpiling terabytes of obscure content. From Hong Kong protest tweets to ’60s British television shows, there’s someone archiving everything.
Neanderthals were into knitting. A scrap of yarn over 40,000 years old confirms that our extinct evolutionary cousins were smarter than we thought.
Investigators busted an alleged face-mask dealer in New York City. They claim the pharmacist hoarded N95 masks that retail for $1.50 each and sold them for up to $22.
About 135,000 people are pretending to be ants on Facebook. They’re members of a group devoted to the weirdly specific ruse.
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