A leading U.S. arts organization released a survey of more than 10,000 artists and creative workers on Friday. It found 95% of them have experienced income loss as a result of COVID-19.
Smithfield's South Dakota plant, which handles 5% of U.S. pork production, has become a coronavirus hot spot, with 783 workers testing positive for the virus so far and two of them dying.
Dyan Navejar is the only one in her family who's still working. Her husband lost his job as a dishwasher. "Food — that's the biggest thing in my household right now. These kids can eat," she says.
Observance of the Muslim holy month of fasting, prayer and festivities is being curtailed in many parts of the world due to COVID-19. But in some countries, the pandemic hasn't dissuaded the faithful.
Over 880,000 cases have been confirmed, as of Friday afternoon. New York City and the surrounding area have been hit hardest, with about half of all deaths coming from New York state or New Jersey.
Giving to the poor is an essential part of the holy month, which began Friday, and with so many people thrown out of work, observers say it's particularly needed now.
Experts say it could be dangerous to rely on overseas production of medicine in a crisis, but the U.S. largely does. Rebuilding domestic capacity would take years and substantial investments.
The COVID-19 crisis has forced us to move almost everything online. But more than one-third of the U.S. population in rural areas has little or no access to the Internet.