Happy DONUT Day

Coronavirus Updates

Global cases rose above 6.86 million yesterday, with nearly 392,000 deaths. The number of confirmed U.S. cases rose past 1.92 million, with 110,138 confirmed deaths.

• COVID-19 cases increased in Texas, Oregon, and Arizona over the past week. See how your state’s coronavirus cases have changed over the previous 7-day period.
• China will ease restrictions on additional foreign airlines in response to the U.S. blocking access to four of their carriers. The Department of Transportation is expected to revise its previous order and allow some Chinese flights to continue.
• AstraZeneca signed a deal with the Serum Institute of India to provide 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for low and middle-income countries by the end of 2020 (in addition to 400 million doses for the U.S. and the UK). It plans to begin distributing the drug in September or October if clinical trials in August are successful.

Nationwide Protests

• Black Lives Matter, in coalition with the ACLU, filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The suit alleges that protestors’ constitutional rights were violated after being removed from D.C.’s Lafayette Square prior to a nearby Trump photoshoot on Monday.
• George Floyd’s Minneapolis memorial service occurred yesterday. Here are some photos of the event.
• Several major cities - including Los Angeles, D.C., and San Francisco - ended their nightly curfews on protests as violence subsides.

Hong Kong Criminalizes Disrespect Of Anthem

Hong Kong’s legislature passed a bill to criminalize the disrespect of China’s national anthem yesterday - the same day as the 31st anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Thousands gathered in Hong Kong to commemorate those lost in the 1989 massacre despite the vigil being banned by police days earlier.

More: The bill comes as China’s legislature approved - but still needs to write - a new national security law that will likely overturn the “one country, two systems” principle put in place when China assumed control of the island in 1997.

       
Even More: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to allow almost three million Hong Kong residents to live and work in the UK if China moves forward with the national security law.

Protests & The Coronavirus Effect

• 1.9 million more people filed for unemployment last week - the May jobs report (which will be released later this morning) is expected to show an unemployment rate near 20%.
• U.S. bankruptcy courts reportedly saw a 48% year-over-year increase in filings last month. Bankrupt retailer J.C. Penney announced the list of all 154 stores it plans to close this summer - here’s a map.
• Lego has paused advertising and social sharing for a number of different kits involving police mini-figurines, along with its adult White House set.
• Ford is delaying plans for salaried workers to return to the office until September in order to guarantee enough PPE and time to implement proper distancing protocols for workers.

Zoom To The Top

ZoomInfo (not to be confused with Zoom Video) rose 61% in its Nasdaq debut yesterday, with shares closing at $34 after the company initially priced its IPO at $21. With more than 15,000 customers across all industries, ZoomInfo - whose technology helps corporate sales and management teams with customer outreach - was valued at ~$13.4 billion at Thursday’s close.

Outlet Pass

Facebook announced it will no longer allow state-controlled media outlets to run ads on its platforms effective this summer, as part of its efforts to prevent foreign interference in the November election. In the interim, the company will label pages and posts from state-controlled media outlets to give users more information about who owns and operates those organizations.

Kiss The Cook

As a money-conscious entrepreneur, Chris Kyle was hesitant to spend hundreds of dollars on a new toy kitchen set for his 18-month-old daughter, Ava. When she invited Chris to her pretend restaurant, eager to use the new cookware, he made sure to let her – and the Internet – know that he expected to get his money’s worth out of his investment.

Taking to Instagram, Chris wrote a hilariously honest review of his experience at his daughter’s establishment, teasing the toddler – who took a break from play-cooking to watch television – for her slow customer service. Ava’s father ultimately conceded that the wait he endured was worth it because the young chef was so adorable.

The Show Must Go On…line

With all of her concerts and gigs canceled for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic, virtuoso cellist Samara Ginsberg found herself with an abundance of time on her hands. The London-based musician and composer decided to use the shutdown to complete a project that she had been planning for years.

Stringing together recordings of herself playing eight different musical parts, Samara created cello covers of her favorite pop culture tunes. Beginning with theme songs from beloved ‘80s television series such as Inspector Gadget and Knight Rider, Samara also produced a cover of “The Imperial March” from Star Wars, which she completed while wearing a Darth Vader mask.

The Prodigal Mom

When the pandemic began, nurse Suzanne Vaughan offered to extend her work hours at England’s Queen Elizabeth hospital to 50 a week, a substantial increase from her usual 28. Making the difficult decision to temporarily put work before family, the single mother had no idea that the commitment would keep her away from her two young daughters for more than two months.

After nine weeks of draining double shifts in the ICU, Suzanne returned home to daughters Bella and Hettie, ages 9 and 7. The children were sitting on a sofa at their aunt’s house when their mother snuck up behind them and surprised the two with a long-awaited family hug (video).

Are Your Construction Friends & Family Ok?

We are fighting daily to get everyone in construction paid what they earn in a timely fashion and give them peace of mind. You’d be surprised how difficult it is, even without a global pandemic!

In fact, we recently found that 50% of contractors and suppliers don’t get paid within a month of doing work - or even close to it. With a pandemic making it difficult to do new work, accessing every penny currently owed NOW is extra important.

Imagine asking your boss when your paycheck is coming just before rent’s due, and getting shrugged off or asked if you were really owed it at all. This is a reality for the construction industry and you can help us change it.

How can you help?
It’s super easy. All you need to do is share this email with absolutely anyone and everyone you know who works for a business in the construction industry in any way. That’s it! Through the end of May, we’ll give them $199 off a mechanics lien, which is the fastest and most powerful tool to get cash into their hands. Simply tell them to use code DONUT at check out.