Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
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1. White House
The White House and Senate leaders came to an 11th-hour bipartisan agreement on the hotly contested, much-anticipated $2 trillion stimulus deal to bolster the suffocating economy. The full details haven’t been released yet, but we know there will be $250 billion set aside for direct payments to individuals and families, $350 billion in small business loans, $250 billion in unemployment insurance benefits and $500 billion in loans for distressed companies. The deal went through days of contentious negotiation and is one of the most expensive and far-reaching measures ever from Congress. Meanwhile, President Trump seems intent on easing coronavirus restrictions as soon as possible to revive the economy, despite dire warnings from medical professionals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Trump said during a Fox News town hall that he wants the country “opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” which is April 12. Doctors, scientists and even the President’s own coronavirus task force disagree.
2. Coronavirus
Nearly a third of the world’s population, 2.5 billion people, are under some sort of movement restriction related to the coronavirus. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a complete lockdown for the country’s 1.3 billion people, lasting at least 21 days. Italy has announced that citizens who violate quarantine rules could face jail time. In Brazil, the demand for more space to treat coronavirus patients has led cities to transform soccer stadiums into hospitals. In Spain, an ice rink has been turned into a morgue. Meanwhile, experts fear the US could become the next epicenter of the virus as cases soared past 50,000 nationwide. More than half of those cases are in New York City, and the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator said anyone who has recently left New York should self-quarantine for 14 days to stem the virus’ spread. Follow here for the latest.
3. Tokyo Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo have been officially postponed until 2021 following mounting pressure from athletes and participating countries. This is the first time the Olympic Games have been postponed in peacetime. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach came to the agreement after Canada and Australia announced they would not send athletes if the Games went on as planned. Athletes also voiced opposition since many don’t have access to training facilities or coaching staff because of coronavirus restrictions. Several sporting bodies, including USA Track and Field and USA Swimming, also called for a postponement. The 2021 games will still be dubbed Tokyo 2020.
4. Election 2020
Democrats are grappling with the possibility that plans for July’s national convention, at which they will choose their presidential nominee, may need to be altered if the coronavirus threat persists. Party officials say there are no set contingencies or deadlines yet, but they have started soliciting guidance from advisers. There’s even a chance the convention could go virtual. The front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, has had to adjust his campaign strategy since coronavirus precautions have made rallies, speeches and other campaign mainstays impossible. Biden says he plans to do regular interviews from a new studio at his Delaware home, an effort to stay in the national spotlight.
5. Mozambique
The bodies of 64 men have been discovered in a sealed shipping container at a checkpoint in the southeast African nation of Mozambique. The 14 survivors of the tragedy told authorities the group was made up of Ethiopian migrants headed to South Africa. The truck driver and his assistant, both Mozambicans, were arrested. The driver reportedly said he was offered around $500 to transport the men. South Africa is home to more than 4 million migrants and close to 300,000 asylum-seekers and refugees, according to UN statistics.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Taking a bath isn’t just relaxing, it could be good for your heart
So, work from home … from the bath? Got it.
New York state is allowing restaurants to sell take-out alcohol for that ‘dining out while dining in’ experience
You still have to provide the flatware and awkward overheard argument coming from the table next to you.
The Qantas A380 is making historic direct flights from Australia to London
It’s actually because of travel restrictions that these few days of 16-hour flights are happening at all.
Here’s what 6 feet of social distancing actually looks like
Draw this on a T-shirt so anyone who approaches you gets the memo.
Curiosity rover shares new selfie, climbs steep hill on Mars
Oh, to be a robot in these trying times, puttering happily along in an empty desert millions of miles away.
TODAY’S NUMBER
5
That’s how many months it’s been since President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked to each other, according to a Pelosi aide. The source said the last time the two spoke was an October 16 meeting when Trump insulted Pelosi and called her a “third-grade politician.”
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Social distancing does not mean you go and sleep in the same bed with the person when you just got off American Airlines.”
Oprah Winfrey, who is keeping her space from longtime partner Stedman Graham because he just returned from traveling. Winfrey noted she has recently battled bronchial infection and pneumonia.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
How bubblegum is made
Watch this soothing pink goo become, well, just slightly more solid soothing pink goo. Mmmm. (Click here to view.)
source: cnn.com