What top CEOs fear telling America about the coronavirus shutdown
Why Read: Axios captures the tension in the United States between the damaging effects of the pandemic to the economy and to public health. American business leaders believe some part of the economy needs to get going again — yet they do not want to look callous. Will American businesses force the hard, national conversation about trade-offs involved in any widespread lockdowns beyond the middle of next month?
430,000 People Have Traveled From China to U.S. Since Coronavirus Surfaced
Why Read: This article presents unsettling news about how many flights have arrived in the United States from China, and specifically, Wuhan, since news of the novel coronavirus surfaced — and how haphazard and spotty the screenings have been for the passengers arriving. They vary greatly from airport to airport, not just in the initial screening upon entry, but also in the follow up to ensure people are quarantining for two weeks, which calls into question the efficacy of U.S. measures to stop the spread of the virus.
U.S. Employers Cut 701,000 Jobs in March
Why Read: Today’s U.S. job numbers do not fully reflect the damage the virus already has done to the economy. America’s coming labor-market collapse could shed all of the U.S. jobs added by employers in the past decade and push the unemployment rate to record highs.
Google Offers User Location Data to Health Officials Tackling Coronavirus
Why Read: Perhaps tracking data, such as what Google will be giving to the U.S. government to track individuals’ movement, will help countries control the pandemic —- but at what privacy cost? Other companies are also providing location data to government officials … but Google controls perhaps the most detailed dossiers on smartphone and internet users.
Covid-19 and America’s political system
Why Read: This article describes the pros and cons of America’s decentralized response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, governors and mayors are the primary deciders on what to close and when to implement a shelter-in-place order.
A new American coronavirus consensus
Why Read: As Axios succinctly puts it: “Something surprising is unfolding amid the finger-pointing and war-gaming about the coronavirus threat to America: A general consensus is forming about the next 60 days of wait and pain.”
U.S. Plant Workplaces Emerge as Coronavirus Battlegrounds
Why Read: Fearful and exhausted, U.S. workers are becoming increasingly vocal about concerns over safety conditions at worksites. Rising worker unrest could spread across the U.S. economy, while some policymakers consider possible new federal worker safety guidelines regarding working during pandemics.