| Need to Know |
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| US Passes 1 Million Cases |
The number of coronavirus cases reported in the US rose past 1 million yesterday, settling at more than 1,012,000 as of this morning, with 58,355 deaths (see stats). Worldwide cases totaled more than 3.1 million, with more than 217,000 deaths. A seven-day rolling average suggests the US may be past the peak number of daily deaths (data here), but the trajectory is subject to change as the economy reopens.
Sources say the Trump administration will use New York City to pilot a program testing residents for coronavirus antibodies. The presence of antibodies - proteins used by the body's immune system to neutralize specific pathogens - indicates a person has recovered from the virus and retains some latent immunity.
Those recovered could potentially be allowed to fully resume normal activities, though scientists say it is unclear whether everyone who has had the virus retains antibodies, and how much resistance to reinfection the antibodies provide. Read a breakdown here.
We highlighted disruptions to the food supply chain yesterday, particularly meat processing, due to outbreaks at plants. Per reports, President Trump used the Defense Production Act to order such plants to stay open, deeming them critical infrastructure.
Finally, a tragic story from New York's Allen Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Lorna Breen, the facility's emergency room director, died by suicide Sunday. Relatives said she had often described the toll the virus had taken on patients, their families, and medical staff.
Check out our coronavirus resource page. We've posted nine ways the pandemic will change schooling, a look at the most important metric going forward, and much more. Check out the expert-curated resources here. |
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| Virus Blunts Ohio Voter Turnout |
Joe Biden is projected to win Ohio's delayed Democratic primary race in what was the first major test of an all-mail election in the 2020 cycle. President Trump ran on the Republican ticket uncontested.
The state's primary contests were originally scheduled to be held in-person March 17, but the event was canceled after a back-and-forth between Gov. Mike DeWine's (R) administration and the state Legislature. Lawmakers ultimately opted for mail-only voting.
The outcome was never in doubt, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) having suspended his campaign. However, the race was closely watched by observers as a proxy of voter turnout if a significant number of states decide to switch to mail voting for the general election. Initial estimates suggest more than three-quarters of the 2 million ballots requested had been returned, though that figure would still only be half of the 3 million people who voted in the state's 2016 primaries. |
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| Cancer Blood Test Demonstrated |
For the first time, a blood test has demonstrated the ability to detect cancer in patients with no previous or family history of the disease, researchers revealed yesterday. While previous tests studied groups of high-risk patients or those with previously identified tumors, the new study followed nearly 10,000 women, aged 65 to 75, from the general population with no history of cancer.
After one year, 96 cancers had been diagnosed. Traditional screenings found 24, while 46 were revealed by the onset of symptoms. The new test identified 26 cases that would not have otherwise been caught early.
Using simple, low-cost blood tests - known as liquid biopsies - to detect cancer in its early stages would constitute a breakthrough in preventative care. Still, researchers caution the new test needs vast improvements before general use. Follow-up imaging showed 101 patients who tested positive did not have cancer, and almost two dozen underwent invasive tests in an attempt to locate tumors that didn't exist. |
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| In the Know |
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| Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
| > Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts among more than 200 celebrities who will take part in “The Call to Unite” 24-hour livestream event this Friday (8pm ET) (More) |
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| > NFL announces 2021 draft will take place in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1 (More) | NCAA working group to recommend possible rule changes allowing student-athletes to earn money from endorsements (More) |
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| > Academy Awards to ease eligibility requirements due to COVID-19, allowing films to compete without having public screenings (More) | AMC Theatres will no longer screen Universal Pictures films over Universal's decision to release movies direct to home streaming (More) |
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| Science & Technology |
| > Hubble Telescope captures the sharpest photos to date of the comet ATLAS as it fractures into more than a dozen pieces (More) |
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| > Apple files a patent for windshields that automatically shift properties based on consumer preference; rumors of a foray into the auto sector by the tech giant have circulated since 2016 (More) |
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| > Antibiotic resistance to a single drug makes bacteria more likely to evolve multidrug resistance, even in the absence of the original antibiotic (More) | See the worst superbugs (More) |
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| Business & Markets |
| > US stock markets down (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -1.4%) as Q1 earnings season enters high gear, analysts project S&P 500 earnings will be down 15% over last year (More) |
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| > Google beats Wall Street expectations but warns search ad revenues down by a “mid-teens percentage” in March compared to last year (More) | Ford warns of $5B loss in Q2 but says it has cash on hand to weather pandemic (More) |
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| > Southwest Airlines sees first quarterly loss since 2011, expects May revenues to decline 95% over last year (More) | JetBlue requires all passengers to wear facemasks starting May 4 (More) |
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| Politics & World Affairs |
| > Defense Department officially releases videos of "unidentified aerial phenomena" captured in 2004 and again in 2015 by Navy pilots; leaked versions of the footage have spurred speculation for years (More) |
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| > Brazil's Supreme Court authorizes probe into corruption charges against President Jair Bolsonaro; investigation alleges Bolsonaro interfered in federal police work on behalf of family members (More) |
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| > Hillary Clinton endorses Joe Biden during virtual women's town hall (More) | US House leadership reverses decision, extends recess over coronavirus fears; Senate to reconvene Monday (More) |
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