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Coronavirus Updates

Global cases rose to nearly 4.18 million yesterday with almost 283,700 deaths. The number of confirmed U.S. cases is approaching 1.37 million with 80,757 confirmed deaths (map by county).

• Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary and Ivanka Trump’s personal assistant tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday; both Ivanka and Pence have since tested negative.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci and two other members of the White House coronavirus task force began a two-week self-quarantine on Saturday after coming into contact with an infected person.
• British PM Boris Johnson announced restrictions will be gradually eased beginning today.
• South Korea closed all nightlife establishments on Saturday after more than 50 cases were traced back to five clubs and bars visited by a single infected person in Seoul.
• A report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 38% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have come from nursing homes (based on the 33 states that report such data).
• The FDA on Saturday granted emergency use authorization to Quidel Corp for the first COVID-19 antigen test, which uses nasal swabs to produce samples (Antigen tests differ from antibody tests. Here’s how).

Hong Kong Protests Resurface

Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered in shopping centers across Hong Kong on Sunday before being dispersed by police. At least 10 demonstrators were arrested.

More: The Hong Kong protests began last June in response to a proposed bill that would have allowed the extradition of criminals to China (later withdrawn), though activists’ demands grew to encompass five main points.

Even More: Check out Reuters’ Pulitzer Prize-winning photography of the Hong Kong Protests.

California Approves Mail-in Voting

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday authorizing mail-in ballots for November’s election. Five other states - Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Utah - already conduct their elections entirely by mail, but CA is the first to do so due to COVID-19 concerns.

*Correction*: On Friday, we incorrectly stated that Georgia native Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in March. The incident took place on February 23.

The Coronavirus Effect

• Apple will reopen stores in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska beginning this week.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April jobs report on Friday, showing a record 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs last month.
• Tesla filed a lawsuit against Alameda County, California, on Saturday over its refusal to allow the company to reopen its factory in Fremont.
• The SBA Inspector General filed a report on Friday stating the agency failed to follow several congressional mandates regarding the rollout of the PPP.
• Major cable and satellite TV companies lost more than two million customers in the first three months of 2020, the industry’s worst quarter on record.

Stake Sauce

Private equity firm Vista Equity agreed to buy a 2.3% stake in Indian telecommunications and tech giant Jio Platforms for $1.5 billion, Jio announced on Friday. Last month, Facebook purchased just under 10% of Jio Platforms for $5.7 billion, while last week, fellow private equity firm Silver Lake bought a 1.1% stake in the company for $750 million.

Lighting The Way

Volvo announced a partnership with tech startup Luminar to integrate its lidar and perception technology into Volvo’s hands-free highway driving technology. The new system will be available in the company’s next generation of vehicles starting in 2022.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

People often like to daydream about how they would spend an exorbitant amount of money. When Jose Romaniz, 19, of Albuquerque, NM, unexpectedly found himself on the receiving end of a windfall of cash, it was what he didn’t spend it on that impressed his local community.

While making a deposit at a local ATM, the teenager happened upon a clear plastic bag filled with an astonishing amount of $20 and $50 bills. Jose promptly called the police to pick up what they later counted was $135,000, which had been mistakenly left out by a bank subcontractor servicing the ATM.

Not Choking Under Pressure

Three-year-old German Shepherd Jett was playing fetch when he accidentally swallowed the entire ball, obstructing his airway and rendering him breathless. Jett’s owner, Teresa Perkins, tried to rush to the vet to save him but ended up stuck in traffic near Charlottesville, VA.

Teresa began to honk her horn, in a desperate attempt to draw someone’s attention, as Jett lay dying in the backseat. It worked - a construction worker named Cavaja rushed to her car, reached inside Jett’s throat, and pulled the ball out, saving his life!

Meet & Greet

Donna Molina was hospitalized with COVID-19 in late March while nearly seven months pregnant. Though she wasn’t due until June, doctors were forced to perform an emergency C-section due to the severity of her illness.

After a medically induced coma, Donna eventually recovered but was unable to meet her newborn until she passed two separate COVID-19 tests. Last Thursday, Donna was properly introduced to her new baby girl, Harley.