Coronavirus Update

Global cases rose above 381,500 yesterday with more than 16,500 deaths. The number of confirmed U.S. cases rose to more than 46,000 with 582 confirmed deaths.

• Senate Democrats voted against a nearly $2 trillion Republican-backed ‘phase three’ stimulus package for the second straight day.
• Late Monday, House Democrats unveiled their response to the Senate Republicans’ ‘phase three’ stimulus package.
• The governors of Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, and South Carolina all issued variations of temporary ‘stay-in-place’ orders on Monday.
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday banned all citizens from leaving their homes except for “very limited” reasons.

PG&E Pleads Guilty to Felony Charges

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) has reached an agreement with California prosecutors under which the company will plead guilty to 85 felony counts - 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and 1 count of unlawfully causing a fire. PG&E had previously agreed to pay $13.5 billion in damages to CA wildfire victims late last year.

More: A PG&E power line was the cause of the Camp Fire, which leveled the California towns of Paradise and Concow, and killed 84 people.

SCOTUS Rules In Comcast’s Favor

The Supreme Court on Monday threw out a lower court’s ruling that had allowed comedian-turned-media mogul Byron Allen’s $20 billion racial discrimination lawsuit against Comcast to continue. Allen, who is black, has alleged that Comcast’s refusal to air certain channels that he owns is a pretext for racial discrimination.

The Coronavirus Effect

• Boeing said it will suspend operations at its Puget Sound, WA factory for the next 14 days. 
• Twitter warned that its financial performance this quarter would be depressed due to less spending on advertisements.
• Facebook announced new paid-time off programs that allow employees to take up to a month off to care for a sick relative.
• Amazon Care is testing a service in Seattle that provides at-home coronavirus test kits, which the company then collects and delivers to an FDA-approved test facility.
• CVS and Dollar General both announced on Monday that they will be hiring 50,000 additional temporary workers in the coming weeks.
• Facebook said it will temporarily reduce video streaming quality on its platform and on Instagram in Latin America.

SoftSell

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son on Monday announced the company will sell up to $41 billion in unspecified assets, with plans to use the money to strengthen balance sheets and reduce debt via share buybacks. The company’s share price rose 19% (the daily limit) on Monday in response to the news.

Moderna Solutions

One of the biotech companies at the forefront of COVID-19 vaccine development - Moderna - disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that it will seek to provide access to its vaccine to a select group (likely consisting of health care workers) as early as this fall. Moderna’s attempt at a solution is already the fastest potential vaccine to enter human clinical trials.

More: Moderna CEO Stephan Bancel reiterated that a commercially obtainable vaccine was not likely to be available for at least 12 to 18 months.

All Good in the ‘Hood

Daphne Sashin of Mountain View, CA had asked around for a fun - but safe - activity to occupy her kids in this time of quarantine. Receiving no promising leads, she decided to make up her own.

Daphne emailed her local neighborhood group and together they devised a plan for everyone to use chalk on their driveways and sidewalks to create a community art museum that residents can enjoy while out for a walk or bike ride.

Breathe Easy

Lung cancer patients in need of a transplant are put in an especially dire situation - they sometimes have to wait years for a suitable donor while undergoing painful chemotherapy to stay alive.

However, in a groundbreaking surgical procedure recently undertaken at an Israeli hospital, doctors successfully removed a 40-year-old man’s lung entirely from his body, cleaned it of cancerous tumors, and placed it right back again.

The Drone Zone

With health officials recommending quarantine measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, many citizens are hesitant to go outside and walk their dogs, including Vakis Demetriou.

The dog owner from Cyprus came up with a tech-enhanced way to exercise his pooch while ensuring his own safety - Vakis recently posted a video of himself using a flying drone to remotely walk his dog through the city streets.

Attention All Tea Lovers:

Here at Cup & Leaf, we’re always on the hunt for new tea to sip and fresh knowledge to share.

We started Cup & Leaf to create an inviting space where experts and novices alike can enjoy our wide selection of tea, without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. We write about tea on our blog, sell tea on our online store, and serve tea at our café in Austin.

Cup & Leaf is your one-stop-shop for all things tea, especially if you are:

• New to tea, but want to learn more without feeling bombarded with information
• Want the basic and proper tools to make a perfect first cup of tea
• An experienced tea drinker who’s looking for a new favorite blend
• Buying a gift for someone, but aren’t sure what to get them
• Located in Austin and want to sip some tea, co-work with some cool people, and pet cute puppies at the café

Do any of these sound like you? If so, we’re excited for you to begin your tea journey with us.

And because you’re a smart and informed Donut reader, we’re offering you 15% off your first online purchase with us. Simply use the code DONUT at check out for 15% off your entire purchase. If you’re Austin, show this email to your tea-rista for 15% off your first cup of tea at the café!