The Small-Business Die-Off Is Here
Why Read: Annie Lowrey argues in this piece that policies from Washington, D.C. that are “too complicated, too small and too slow” for many firms have brought about the “great small-business die-off,” which will change American commerce and cause slower growth and less innovation in the future.
Reopening is a risk for Republican governors
Why Read: Drew Altman, President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, writes in Axios that while states with Democratic governors have been the hardest-hit areas up to this point by COVID-19, virus cases are now increasing more quickly in states with Republican governors — and that’s a risk for them. “Polls show that Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to think that the worst is behind us when it comes to COVID-19. That may be partly because they, and the Republican governors, think this is largely someone else’s problem. It isn’t.”
After lockdown: the missing 10%
Why Read: The Economist summarized the major news and analyses from last week into a compilation of charts that range from details on how countries are handling remote schooling to the latest polling numbers in the U.S. presidential election. The charts also explain The Economist’s theory on the “90% economy.” The Economist writes: “Once the rich world emerges from lockdown, what will life be like? If China’s experience so far is any guide, harder. Measures to hold the coronavirus at bay while keeping economies running could mean a reduction in GDP of 10%.”
President Trump’s Favorability Ratings Recede from March’s Peak
Why Read: These are the latest poll numbers, as of April 30, from PRRI on President Trump’s favorability ratings.
Trump’s coronavirus slump
Why Read: Headlining the U.S. political news this week was how President Trump blew up at staff after they showed him his latest poll numbers. This Axios article does a great job of summing up the story as to why.
In Defense of the Blob
Why Read: Three foreign policy experts offer their perspective on the U.S. foreign policy establishment and how it can be part of the solution post-COVID-19.