Friday, April 24th, 2020
Sunlight Weakens Virus, More Relief Approved & Coral Reef Breakthrough
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
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Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want reading the latest happenings...
Americans Weigh Restrictions
Nearly 50,000 people have now died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Meanwhile, the country is on its way to reopening. In Georgia, businesses like gyms, tattoo studios, and bowling alleys will start opening today, despite recent backlash. The White House has recommended states demonstrate a downward trend in COVID-19 cases over two weeks and can treat patients and test healthcare workers. Georgia has not reached those benchmarks, but Gov. Kemp says business owners will prioritize safety, so they can get back to work anyway. That said, new polling suggests most Americans want to stay home. Fewer than half the people who responded to a new CBS News survey said they’d feel comfortable going to their workplace right now. Only 15% would be comfortable going on an airplane and 29% say they’re ready to go to restaurants and bars.
Case Count, Death Toll: Johns Hopkins
States Begin Reopening: The Hill, CNBC, Twitter
Few Americans Ready for Crowds: CBS News, Politico
1 in 5 New Yorkers Possibly Infected
Blood samples from about 3,000 random people in New York City found about 1 in 5 had developed antibodies to fight COVID-19. If that’s true for the rest of the city, it means as many as 2.7 million people may have unknowingly had the virus already. It also means the death rate is lower than we thought. However, we don’t know yet how much immunity the antibodies provide, or for how long, but knowing how many people might be immune can help state officials make decisions about lifting restrictions.
NYC Outbreak Easing: NY Post, NBC News
NY Antibody Testing Results: NYT, AP
Study: Sunlight Weakens Virus
New government research found direct sunlight, as well as hot, humid conditions, can speed up how fast the new coronavirus dies on surfaces. A top scientist from the Homeland Security Department, William Bryan, explained the initial findings of the study. He said it’s too soon to say that summer, or any hot weather, will kill the virus, especially since the study hasn’t been peer-reviewed. However, it’s encouraging to have another potential tool to fight the virus. More research is underway.
Read More: Bloomberg, WaPo
Millions More Unemployed
The U.S. Labor Department reports another 4.4 million more people filed for jobless benefits last week. That brings the five-week total to more than 26 million new unemployment applications. It also means 1 in 6 Americans have lost their jobs during the coronavirus crisis.
Read More: NBC News, AP
More Relief Coming
The U.S. House passed a bill worth nearly $500 billion. The latest aid package already passed in the U.S. Senate. President Trump plans to sign it into law today. $380 billion of it will go toward small businesses. Another $100 billion is for hospitals and more COVID-19 testing. This latest bill brings the total amount of federal relief during the pandemic to about $3 trillion.
Read More: WSJ, NPR, Reuters
NFL Draft Round One
The first round of the first virtual NFL Draft went off without a hitch. As expected, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was the No. 1 pick. The Heisman Trophy winner is now headed to Cincinnati to play for the Bengals. As for the other top selections, OSU defensive end Chase Young was picked by the Washington Redskins. OSU cornerback Jeff Okudah was selected by the Detroit Lions.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports
Hiring Spree
Instacart is on another hiring spree. After adding 300,000 people last month, the company says it now wants to add another 250,000. Once it’s fully staffed, Instacart hopes to bring back one-hour and same-day deliveries.
Read More: TechCrunch, The Verge, CNN, Press Release
Uber Domestic Abuse Shelter Donations
Rideshare company Uber is donating 50,000 rides to shelters that work with survivors of domestic abuse. Shelters in 16 countries can now use the rides to coordinate safe pickups. This is especially necessary now since the number of domestic violence cases has spiked during lockdowns. Uber also says it’s donating 45,000 free meals to shelters.
Read More: USA Today, Press Release
Beyoncé & Dorsey Pledge $6M
Beyoncé and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are pledging $6 million for COVID-19 relief. Through Beyoncé’s Bey-Good Foundation and Dorsey’s Start Small fund, they’re giving money to organizations that provide personal and mental health services. All of it will go to areas that have been hit particularly hard by the virus, like New York, New Orleans, Detroit, and Houston.
Read More: Variety, ABC News
The Rolling Stones New Song
The Rolling Stones just released their first new song in 8 years. It’s called “Living in a Ghost Town.” A lot of it was recorded in a studio before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but the band finished it up in isolation. Frontman Mick Jagger says he didn’t want to wait to put it out since he knew the world would resonate with it now. It’s about being lonely and having nowhere to go.
Read More: AP, Rolling Stone, Twitter, YouTube
Feel Good Friday - Saving Coral Reefs
A scientific breakthrough could help save “America’s Great Barrier Reef,” the third-largest coral reef in the world. The Florida Aquarium in Tampa announced that for the first time in history, scientists were able to reproduce ridged cactus coral in human care. They are now caring for them and discovering information about their biology. Now, the hope is to save the coral from extinction.
Read More: CBS News, CNN