Why Black Workers Face a Slower Economic Recovery | WSJ
Black unemployment has historically been higher than white unemployment in the U.S. This gap was narrowing before the coronavirus pandemic. But with unemployment hitting record highs across the board, Black Americans could be left even further behind. Photo illustration: Carter McCall/WSJ
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Economy #Explainer
July 06, 2020
f7oqefnQJCQ
How to Take a Headshot With an iPhone and $30 of Gear | WSJ
Skip Apple's unnatural studio-lighting effects. With just a few household items, a hardware store LED bulb and your iPhone, you can create your own LinkedIn-worthy headshot. WSJ’s Kenny Wassus shows you how it’s done.
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #iPhone #HowTo
July 03, 2020
CJpC__VVcWc
How China Turned the Pandemic and Protests Into Propaganda Opportunities | WSJ
China's state media have been using the pandemic and U.S. protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd to rally its citizens at home, as Beijing’s relationships around the world grow tenser. Photo Composite: Crystal Tai/WSJ
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #China #Propaganda
July 02, 2020
16GhLG3voOo
Expect Delays: A Guide to This Year's Tax Season | WSJ
The Internal Revenue Service has tweaked the rules for this year's tax season, including delays to payment deadlines and relief on some compliance measures. WSJ explains what you need to know. Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Taxes #Finance
July 01, 2020
eF1Wd5w09UU
Free Speech Under Siege as Hong Kong TV Show Comes to End | WSJ
Under pressure from China, Hong Kong has been chipping away at the territory’s free speech, which is a key pillar of the city’s identity. WSJ visits the set of “Headliner,” a popular satirical news show to find out how a proposed national security law could change the global hub. Photo/Video: Clément Bürge/WSJ
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #HongKong #FreeSpeech
June 30, 2020
OQavL52dLZg
How the Pandemic Is Changing Our Commute | WSJ
Traveling on trains and buses means potential exposure to the coronavirus, so cities are racing to make their public transit systems safe. WSJ explores how things like sanitizing robots, working from home and expanded bike lanes are changing our commutes. Video/Illustration: Jaden Urbi and Zoë Soriano
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Commuting #Transportation
June 29, 2020
H_Yh1SsdmQE
Wirecard and the Curious Case of the Missing $2 Billion | WSJ
Payment processing company Wirecard was the darling of Germany’s fintech industry until auditors uncovered a $2 billion hole in its accounting. WSJ explains what we know about the missing money, as investigators are still trying to understand what happened. Photo composite: George Downs
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Wirecard #TwoBillion
June 26, 2020
EdYpXuwGVFg
Volatility Trading: The Market Tactic That’s Driving Stocks Haywire | WSJ
The pandemic has fed investors’ appetite for volatility trading, a market tactic that allows traders to bet on big market swings. But analysts say these bets have grown so popular that they’re driving more volatility, making the markets riskier for everyone. WSJ explains. Image: Jacob Reynolds
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Economy #Explainer
June 25, 2020
cHYeDy7AE5c
How Carnival Has Been Hit by the Coronavirus Crisis | WSJ
Over nearly five decades, Carnival amassed a global fleet of cruise ships. But in the face of a pandemic, health authorities and passengers are questioning whether operators like Carnival can set sail safely going forward. WSJ's Carter McCall explains. Photo: Getty Images
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Carnival #RiseAndFall #Explainer
June 24, 2020
2sb3XPXmaKY
iOS 14, iPadOS, MacOS Big Sur, WatchOS 7: Apple’s WWDC Recap | WSJ
In a two-hour virtual keynote for its annual WWDC conference, Apple announced new features coming to the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Without the typical live audience for reactions, WSJ's Joanna Stern rounds up the most applause-worthy (and meh-worthy) news. Photo Illustration: Laura Kammermann / The Wall Street Journal
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Apple #WWDC
iOS 14, iPadOS, MacOS Big Sur, WatchOS 7
June 23, 2020
FQgTXYGIyoI
The Economic Ripple Effect of Retail Sales, Explained | WSJ
Analysts and economists are paying close attention to monthly retail sales numbers as a way to gauge how the economy may be recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Kathy Willens/Associated Press.
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Explainer #Economy
June 19, 2020
xwBPniHN0IY
How Smartphone Cameras Told the Story of Police Brutality | WSJ
In the last decade, the smartphone has become a tool for witnessing police violence toward African Americans. From the 2009 killing of Oscar Grant to the 2020 killing of George Floyd, we reviewed the footage and talked to the people who captured it, to see how the accounts of racial injustice became clearer as the phones evolved. Photo illustration: Preston Jessee for The Wall Street Journal
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Tech
June 18, 2020
-FEGcJeGeBg
What to Expect When You Fly in the Future | WSJ
Air travel is full of opportunities for coronavirus transmission. Touchless check-in, plexiglass shields, temperature checks, back-to-front boarding and planes with empty middle seats are all now part of the flying experience, and the future may bring even more changes. Illustration: Alex Kuzoian
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Travel #Aviation
June 17, 2020
pK_hZmBOmfk
How 1999's WTO Protests Influenced the Policing of Protests Today | WSJ
Violent confrontations between police and protestors during the 1999 World Trade Organization conference changed the way police respond to protests in the U.S. Here’s how we got to the militarized police tactics we see today. Eric Draper/Associated Press
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Protests
June 16, 2020
Msk0PbhwcuA
How Black-Owned Businesses Are Surviving Without Stimulus | WSJ
Black small-business owners have faced hurdles accessing the Paycheck Protection Program. Here’s how the African-American owners of MahoganyBooks in Washington, D.C., have kept their small business afloat. Photo: Zach Wood for The Wall Street Journal
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Stimulus #Economy
June 15, 2020
cHslGlLEEyk
How the Pandemic Could Transform Higher Ed | WSJ
Will the coronavirus pandemic lead to long-term changes in higher education? To better understand the challenges facing U.S. colleges and universities, WSJ’s Alexander Hotz spoke with administrators, students, and a higher education futurist. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/AP
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Coronavirus #HigherEducation
June 13, 2020
lo9UxC6dfG4
Video Investigation: How a Seattle Protest Ended in Chaos | WSJ
On June 1, a largely peaceful demonstration in Seattle turned violent, with police using pepper spray and tear gas against the protesters. Using video and police scanner audio, WSJ dissects how the event unfolded and why it's now under investigation. Photo: Lindsey Wasson/Reuters
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Protest #Seattle
June 12, 2020
MMjExztMbyA
In Wake of George Floyd’s Death, Black Professionals Talk Race, Work
The killing of George Floyd on May 25 sparked protests over police brutality and systemic racism. WSJ’s Darren Everson spoke with black professionals to discuss their experiences and what changes they’d like to see. Photo illustration: Adele Morgan
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ
June 10, 2020
zTnNts2tNT0
How to Properly Disinfect Your Home | WSJ
To help protect against the coronavirus, the CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily. Bryan Warcholek, who leads the Covid-19 team for biohazard clean-up company Aftermath Services, shows how it’s done. Photo: Adam Falk/The Wall Street Journal
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Coronavirus #Disinfecting
June 09, 2020
JnVDUMBKCSw
Why More Women Have Lost Jobs During the Pandemic | WSJ
Unemployment in the pandemic has fallen disproportionately on Latina women, with many in the service industry. Here’s how gender, race, and occupation help determine who is most vulnerable in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. Illustration: Crystal Tai
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ
On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
#WSJ #Economy #Jobs
June 11, 2020
W4oUYA3HZ7k
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106414615_272341967203357_6348701898078073038_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=Mw87jnod5kQAX9nje4x&oh=a17e85e6e0cabc8db573e26a76ff8593&oe=5F2E4229
All modes of solo “micromobility”—from e-bikes and scooters to futuristic unicycles—can seem less risky than mass transit as we return to work. “No one wants to be in a dirty cab. We don’t want to be on a bus or subway. People want their own mode of transportation that they control,” said Michael Burtov, author of “The Evergreen Startup.”⠀
⠀
Most professionals still yearn for the normalcy office life brings, despite what you’ve heard about the myriad ways sweatpants and Zoom calls will forever transform work in America. ⠀
⠀
According to a May survey by Gensler Research Institute, only 12% of office workers plan to toil from home full-time after the pandemic subsides. What might change dramatically however: How we choose to travel to work.⠀
⠀
Seattle’s Rad Power Bikes, an electric bike company, recently announced that sales had leapt nearly 300% this April compared with the same period in 2019. Even before the pandemic, Deloitte Insights estimated that world-wide sales of electric bikes would top 40 million annually by 2023, far eclipsing EV car sales. ⠀
⠀
Read more about other electric options for a solo work commute at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
🎨: Jack Richardson for @wsjoffduty
5001
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106919554_1135574636813636_7125062743473672355_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=OhSLQuqLvJkAX8ykKtZ&oh=c0fff13a243a2bc85bece53c78be9d62&oe=5F2D9F65
Chelsea Alionar, a 37-year-old in Keizer, Ore., is going on more than 100 days of being sick, with a racing heart beat, chest pains and numbness.⠀
⠀
Alionar began experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 in March and she tested positive in April. Now, her symptoms still come in waves. She says she has faced resistance from medical professionals she’s met with in dozens of appointments since she fell ill. ⠀
⠀
“They tell me that there’s really no way that I could be sick with Covid this long and that I absolutely have to be depressed and anxious and it’s got to be mental health,” said Alionar.⠀
⠀
The science behind what’s happening is still nascent. But some theories are emerging, many of which are being tested in new studies. Some doctors believe the culprit is a neurological condition that may affect up to 15% of all Covid-19 patients. Others blame chronic fatigue syndrome. Many see a common root in immune responses gone haywire. ⠀
⠀
Long-term patients’ symptoms vary widely, from elevated heart rates and trouble breathing to gastrointestinal problems and cognitive difficulties. Many patients are younger and had previously been healthy, with Covid cases initially considered mild to moderate. But months later they are still sick, and some are getting worse.⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @leahnashphoto for @wsjphotos
5462
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106277951_562156764660270_4575231796144138372_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=dIYoZR8TIEcAX_Dx8SH&oh=f5fd4edd985599542cf5e180e45f7029&oe=5F2F056F
For Tom Gale, hot rods—a vehicle modified for style and speed, often with a V-8 engine, and often based on a 1920s or ’30s car—are all “about individual statements.”⠀
⠀
As a former executive vice president and head of design at Chrysler, Gale had an opportunity to help create the Chrysler Prowler, pictured on the right in the first photo. Though hot rods don’t typically meet modern street regulations, the company designed the Prowler to have bumpers and wipers, as well as meet front-impact and side-impact regulations. ⠀
⠀
“The Prowler had to solve all of these problems and still have the shape that you recognize as a classic hot rod,” he said. When the Prowler went on sale as a 1997 model, it got all the attention he'd hoped for and more. (The one pictured here is a 2001 model.)⠀
⠀
Around the same time, Gale was also customizing his own 1933 Ford hot rod, pictured on the left in the first photo. ⠀
⠀
“It’s built to look like it’s moving even when it’s standing still,” Gale says of his Ford.⠀
⠀
When the two cars are next to one another, it shows how faithfully Gale and his colleagues attempted to evoke classic hot rod design language in a production car.⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: Keith King for @wsjphotos
5529
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/106912851_606974276593610_1318842105538112983_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&_nc_ohc=HVcMwHqHzVYAX8KuxWh&oh=aaef31b4def4328b75a8af08549a5319&oe=5F2F9323
At a time when people worry about their own risk of infection, Lisa Pratt’s job is to ensure that NASA’s interplanetary spacecraft don’t taint the alien worlds they are designed to explore. ⠀
⠀
Pratt, 69, @nasa’s planetary protection officer, is working to make sure that life on Earth doesn’t contaminate the rest of the solar system. For months now, she has been disinfecting a NASA spacecraft poised to launch for Mars on July 22. The mission sets the stage for bringing Martian rocks and soil back to Earth for the first time.⠀
⠀
NASA takes contamination risk so seriously that next year it plans to crash its $1.1 billion Juno space probe into Jupiter to avoid contaminating two nearby moons that might harbor life. The probe, launched in 2011, is ending its mission there and, if left orbiting aimlessly, might crash into one of them.⠀
⠀
“We have a responsibility to not contaminate and potentially inoculate another world with something from Earth,” Pratt said⠀
⠀
Due to public health precautions, Pratt has been isolated in her family home outside Bloomington, Ind., conducting meticulous daily spacecraft inspections via tiny GoPro cameras worn by launchpad engineers. Bolt by bolt, they sterilized and tested every part to eliminate bacteria that might hitchhike across the airless void between planets.⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @stephenvoss for @wsjphotos
4718
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/106246049_114108736847228_2467245014786526376_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=108&_nc_ohc=7BPNIV8mZJsAX-X9EjW&oh=a465c846430b2e9c3b254d5a165b06b0&oe=5F2F2C87
In Japan’s host clubs, women come to be entertained with Champagne and sweet talk by teams of well-groomed young male staff. But now the clubs—an offshoot of Japan’s century-old industry of hostess bars catering mostly to older men—have become a hot spot for new coronavirus infections, and, despite their relatively small number, have been singled out by Tokyo’s governor as a problem area. Last week, Tokyo reported 55 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily count since early May, with 12 cases attributed to infections at host clubs.⠀
⠀
Japan has been one of the world’s success stories in suppressing Covid-19 by discouraging close contact in confined spaces and aggressively tracing those who have spent time with infected people. The clubs have proven problematic on both counts, because it is hard to be flirtatious at a distance and visitors tend not to want to be tracked down later.⠀
⠀
“Closeness is what we sell,” said Takayuki Makita, the chief operating officer of groupdandy, which operates Ai Honten and around 40 other host clubs in Kabukicho with about 3,000 staff. “Customers come to us for intimacy. They want to flirt at close range.”⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @shihofukada for @wsjphotos
10842
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106372873_670082216913107_3612543623682243550_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&_nc_ohc=d1WbSml_7pAAX-EDvfz&oh=fe6d538120cb1bf7d7d155d11e093918&oe=5F2F0FCB
When Eric Emch and his husband Alan Lane began trying to adopt a baby two years ago, they didn’t count on a pandemic. In March, they were hunkered down at home in New York City when they learned they had been matched with a girl due in May.⠀
⠀
The adoption checklist they had expected to follow evaporated. Emch and Lane couldn’t get to know the birth mother face to face. They received their baby, Margot, not at the adoption agency’s offices—which were closed because of the pandemic—but on the sidewalk outside the hospital. They finished their paperwork on the drive over, and their contact at the adoption agency notarized the documents over FaceTime.⠀
⠀
“Here was this woman who was giving us the greatest gift we could imagine and who we had connected to so closely,” Emch said, “and we couldn’t hug her.”⠀
⠀
Coronavirus has halted most adoptions from outside the U.S., but domestic ones are inching ahead. While procedures vary by state, agency and family, lockdowns across the country have complicated background checks, home visits and physicals for prospective parents. ⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @bessadler for @wsjphotos
31196
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106404258_326231075059262_3265190264641162600_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&_nc_ohc=87hMLCeuDnEAX9-mfRY&oh=d43bc18e73d600ccd5bf6e5a538df8fa&oe=5F2F394D
Coronavirus has taken a staggering toll on Europe’s oldest citizens that is shaping public-health policy as authorities look ahead to the fall and winter.⠀
⠀
Governments are hoping that sophisticated new systems for testing infected people, isolating them and tracing their contacts will do the heavy lifting of keeping the virus under control when temperatures cool and life moves indoors.⠀
⠀
But as the extent of the cost borne by Europe’s elderly comes into focus, some countries are also exploring more targeted measures to safeguard them and other vulnerable groups. The goal is to avoid reimposing widespread lockdowns if the virus comes roaring back.⠀
⠀
“The obvious strategy for this is to protect the people who need protecting,” said Mark Woolhouse, professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh and a member of a panel of scientific experts who advise the U.K. government.⠀
⠀
An official tally of deaths linked to Covid-19 by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control puts the total number of fatalities in 31 European countries with a combined population over 500 million at just over 175,000. The number of deaths in the U.S., which has roughly 330 million people, totaled 103,000 through mid-June, with 60% of those over 75.⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @manubrabo for @wsjphotos
7685
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106719169_2528144524164675_6869128455444223204_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=103&_nc_ohc=iqDnxaU06lsAX8vnX_c&oh=642c3282065d5fb33deb0319a006066e&oe=5F064402
Previously criticized for the waste they generate, single-use plastics have gained a new foothold during the pandemic. To stem transmission of Covid-19, bars are serving drinks in plastic cups, supermarkets are wrapping once loose fruits and baked goods in plastic, and offices are adding plastic coverings to everything from doorknobs to elevator buttons.⠀
⠀
Efforts to fight the virus are boosting sales for plastics makers who are citing the pandemic to lobby against bans, maintaining their products preserve hygiene. Some bans on plastic shopping bags have been overturned, or fees lifted, because of concerns reusable alternatives could spread the virus. The plastics industry is lobbying for more bans to be scrapped.⠀
⠀
U.S. demand for flexible packaging—most of which is plastic—is forecast to jump by 10% this year, compared with 3% last year, according to research firm Wood Mackenzie. In Europe, growth is estimated to hit over 5% compared with 1.5% last year.⠀
⠀
Many of the plastics for which demand has jumped are also the hardest to recycle because they are made from multiple types of plastic, or plastic mixed with other materials. Protective face masks and gloves, which are seeing greater sales during the pandemic and often contain plastic, also can’t be widely recycled, and have been found littered the world over. ⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio. ⠀
⠀
📷: @fmrphoto for @wsjphotos
2489
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/106212205_598417774147886_1638373338561173558_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&_nc_ohc=bEUhut5M7gQAX_gVZjD&oh=e6b3944067aef18a18b0d36acbeefb46&oe=5F2D271B
A financial planner in San Diego is about to become the most popular baseball fan in Southern California.⠀
⠀
Chip Messenger, who leases a condominium in a luxury building in downtown San Diego, has a private balcony on the 15th floor that provides a clear view into Petco Park, the home of the Padres. Under normal circumstances, an amenity that amounts to free, long-distance season tickets counts as a fun perk to brag about. But during the pandemic, it is one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the country to anybody who cares about the sport.⠀
⠀
That’s because Messenger is one of the few people in the U.S. who will actually be able to see live Major League Baseball in 2020 with his own eyes, not through a television screen. The league intends to stage an abbreviated 60-game season starting July 23, and there will be no spectators in attendance, at least at first.⠀
⠀
Messenger says he will open his balcony to other Padres diehards desperate for a fix throughout the season—with appropriate health-related precautions, of course. “I’ll vet a few of them to make sure they’re not weirdos,” he said. ⠀
⠀
At the link in our bio, read about other residents with ballpark views.⠀
⠀
Photo: Chip Messenger
8167
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/76906016_158953182405608_8183594512557489858_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=108&_nc_ohc=v2GV5pOzvXsAX8Xr7O8&oh=9fc094ec09bb9e47ed510e4c40c6a28c&oe=5F2F23E0
Over 240 companies have paused ad spending on Facebook, citing concerns about the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation on the social network. Advertiser pullouts are big news, but it would take much more to throw Facebook’s business off course. ⠀
⠀
The social media giant, which earns nearly $70 billion in annual revenue from more than 8 million advertisers, is unlikely to take a substantial financial hit unless the boycott becomes far more expansive and companies carry it out for a very long time.⠀
⠀
Facebook’s U.S. and Canada business makes up around half of its overall ad revenue. Many companies are only pausing their spending in the U.S.—where controversies over objectionable content have been most pronounced— but some are pausing all spending globally.⠀
⠀
Some very big names have suspended ad-buying—some for July, some for longer— including Unilever, Verizon, Microsoft and Starbucks. But Facebook’s lifeblood is the millions of small and medium-sized businesses that use the company’s sophisticated ad buying system to target potential customers. They account for 76% of all spending on Facebook, according to Deutsche Bank.⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.
4340
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/106284670_110596380581620_4314928982074220497_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=rP5IzxwVNyAAX-j-pz0&oh=ff222126c23bef73da19b9cba4bb84a7&oe=5F2E8CCB
There is widespread scientific and medical consensus that face masks are a key part of the public policy response for tackling the coronavirus pandemic. So why are they still controversial?⠀
⠀
Although many European countries and U.S. states have made masks mandatory in shops or on public transport, studies show that people are reluctant to wear them unless they have to. ⠀
⠀
Surveys have found that the willingness to wear masks in these regions has plateaued and in some cases begun to decline, and adoption remains far from universal. In the U.K., which has one of the highest Covid-19 death rates globally, only a quarter of respondents to a June 14 YouGov survey said they regularly wear a face mask. In the U.S., questions over wearing face masks have fueled heated political debates.⠀
⠀
A study by the University of Bamberg in Germany published on April 30 found that “acceptance for wearing masks is still low in Europe—many people just feel strange when wearing masks.” ⠀
⠀
This reluctance is in contrast to Asia, where some countries limited the spread of the pandemic early and without instituting severe restrictions like in the West. ⠀
⠀
Read more at the link in our bio.
19114
https://scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/106268562_754450518692717_5059569001682200318_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=M5JnxawF_xUAX8rvPRb&oh=fbcc1e852d54764919a0c82d79317a28&oe=5F2DAA23
As American parents and students begin to consider what school will look like in the fall, children across much of the world have returned to schools already, finding them barely recognizable, with new layouts and routines adapted for the coronavirus pandemic.⠀
⠀
Cafeterias look like exam halls with desks spaced out, temperatures are checked, shared computers are unplugged, and there are no sports. For some, school has been reduced to a few hours a day or takes place only on alternating days. The measures are deemed necessary to reopen schools that gradually closed through the first few months of the year as the outbreak spread.⠀
⠀
Hear from students in Hong Kong, South Korea and New Zealand in our Stories, and read the full piece at the link in our bio.⠀
⠀
📷: @anthony.kwan for @wsjphotos
4783