March 22, 2020

Your Weekend Briefing

By Remy Tumin and Sandra Stevenson

Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead.

Al Drago for The New York Times

1. One in four Americans is being asked to stay home in an effort to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The governors of California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois told their residents to stay indoors as much as possible, issuing far-reaching demands that all nonessential workers must remain at home.

“These provisions will be enforced,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said. “These are not helpful hints.”

More than 24,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 10,350 detected in New York State.

The White House signaled that American companies were increasing efforts to restock hospitals with crucial supplies during the pandemic, but it again stopped short of more assertive steps that some state and local leaders have demanded. Above, temperature checks are required in the White House briefing room.

And Congress is negotiating an economic rescue plan that may cost more than $1 trillion ahead of a possible Senate vote on Monday. Check here for the latest on the pandemic.

From charities that support children to organizations that feed families, there is no shortage of ways to get involved. Here’s how to help.

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Nadia Shira Cohen for The New York Times

2. The number of undetected cases is 11 times more than has been officially reported, researchers at Columbia University estimate. Their analysis offers a stark warning: Even if the country cut its rate of transmission in half — a tall order — some 650,000 people may still become infected in the next two months.

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Italy reported 793 virus deaths, the most in one day. The country’s missteps have underscored the importance of early, strict isolation measures. Above, a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Rome.

This chart allows you to follow the virus’s progression by in the United States.

Grant Hindsley for The New York Times

3. Doctors may soon be forced to face a harrowing decision in hospitals pushed to the brink: Who will be saved — and who won’t?

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Epidemic experts predict an explosion in the number of critically ill patients, and federal grant programs are revisiting what are essentially rationing plans for hospitals, states and the Veterans Health Administration in a severe pandemic. Dr. Laura Evans, above, helps leads the response to the outbreak at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

The coronavirus rampaged through a suburban nursing home in Washington State: Two-thirds of its residents and 47 of its workers fell ill; 35 people died. We investigated what went wrong.

Joshua Lott for The New York Times

4. Economists say there is little doubt that the nation is headed into a recession because of the pandemic. But it is harder to see how long it will take to climb back.

This week’s initial jobless claims jumped 30 percent over the previous week, to 281,000. But that number pales in comparison to what Goldman Sachs foresees in the next weekly report: 2.25 million.

The prognosis for shuttered independent restaurants, like Smith & Wollensky, above, in Chicago, is particularly dire. Some analysts estimate that 75 percent of them won’t make it.

Truckers and warehouse workers at UPS and FedEx feel they have no choice but to keep showing up, even with coronavirus-like symptoms. Grocery workers are facing a similar strain.

Philip Fong/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

5. Calls to postpone the Tokyo Olympics are growing, with sports organizations opposing Olympic officials’ insistence that the Games go on this summer.

U.S.A. Swimming and U.S.A. Track & Field called for a postponement. Olympic committees in Norway and Brazil have endorsed postponing the Games until 2021. But the president of the International Olympic Committee has not wavered.

The pandemic is compounding financial concerns about women’s sports in particular. Paychecks and sponsor deals were already much smaller for female athletes; now postponements and cancellations have added further uncertainty about their wages.

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

6. And the Democratic primary race continues.

Our politics team looked at how Senator Bernie Sanders and important members of his inner circle made a string of fateful decisions that left him ill-positioned to win over skeptical Democrats.

While Mr. Sanders has not ended his presidential bid, he fell far behind former Vice President Joe Biden in the delegate count last week.

Separately, the latest campaign finance reports are in. New figures show just how big a financial hole Mr. Biden was in before he pulled off a remarkable turnaround in the Democratic race. The numbers also show a record-setting $907 million in spending by Michael Bloomberg.

Saul Martinez for The New York Times

7. No sports. No exercise classes. No birthday parties. No nothing. No fun?

The spread of the virus has cut Americans off from one another, but some are using the opportunity to enjoy more simple pleasures, like a drive-in theater in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., above, last week.

Here are some other ways to keep you (and yours) entertained:

Writers are turning to social media to engage with their fans, offering readings of their books, art classes and other activities.
We asked Broadway songwriters to come up with a hand-washing song that was not Happy Birthday. Hear their alternatives.
No fancy equipment necessary: Here are six things you can do every day to maintain your physical and mental health at home.
Scott Kelly, the retired NASA astronaut, spent nearly a year on the International Space Station. He offered a few tips on isolation.

Craig Lee for The New York Times

8. It’s a boom time for the bean industry.

Amid all the panic shopping, the growing demand for beans has stood out as an especially potent symbol of the anxious and uncertain times.

Beans can be a home cook’s secret weapon. Food columnist Melissa Clark developed this guide to tell you everything you need to know about preparing beans and some of their relatives in the legume family.

We are building a list of tips on how to get creative with ingredients you already have. Tell us what would help in your kitchen.

Matthew Defeo for The New York Times

9. And now for something completely unrelated: skijoring.

Derived from a Norwegian term meaning “ski driving,” skijoring is believed to have originated hundreds of years ago in what is now Scandinavia among indigenous people who were pulled on skis behind a reindeer. Today, skiers navigate a series of jumps and dangling rings as a horse pulls them as fast as 40 miles per hour.

The Leadville Ski Joring Competition, which has taken place for 72 years, offered a glimpse into a cherished sport not widely known outside the Mountain States.

10. Finally, check out one of our Best Weekend Reads.

This week we take a look at the African-American art shaping the 21st century, the unlikely face of Houston’s diverse dining scene, the latest installment of “Diary of a Song” and more.

For more ideas on what to read, watch and listen to, may we suggest these nine new books our editors liked, a glance at the latest small-screen recommendations from Watching and our music critics’ latest playlist.

Have you been keeping up with the headlines? Test your knowledge with our news quiz And here’s the front page of our Sunday paper, the Sunday Review from Opinion and our crossword puzzles.

It’s the first official weekend of spring! Hope you find some levity this week.

Your Weekend Briefing is published Sundays at 6 a.m. Eastern.

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