Second Stimulus Check | Biggest 420 Ever | Sussexes Break With Tabloids

Plus: Bill Gates Now A Target Of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories

Know Now

• Americans At World Health Organization Reportedly Told Trump Administration About Coronavirus ‘Late Last Year’

• Britain Builds Extra 30,000 Mortuary Places In Preparation For Worst Possible Coronavirus Outcome

• Harry And Meghan Sever Ties With British Tabloids Over ‘Distorted, False’ Stories

• Bill Gates Is Now A Target Of COVID-19 Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories

• Singapore Oil Giant Files For Bankruptcy Amid Price War And Coronavirus

Top Take-Aways

Will Congress end up passing a second stimulus check that guarantees monthly payments of $2,000 for at least six months? That remains to be seen, but here is a comparison of the bill and the $1,200 check. PLUS: $2,000 monthly stimulus checks and canceled rent and mortgage payments for one year. 

This pandemic has put the U.S. economy in the ICU unit. Barclays Capital has updated their global growth forecasts, and in a subheading titled “U.S. Activity Falls Off A Cliff,” Barclays points out that the U.S. could experience a sharper contraction in GDP than the entire euro zone.

In photos: Europe starts to resume public life as coronavirus outbreaks wane. Life in Europe may still be a far cry from the way it was, but countries are beginning to allow some businesses and institutions to reopen.

“Mr. President, are you telling New York City to drop dead?” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, calling for billions in federal assistance as funding for city services are redirected to fight coronavirus. New York remains an epicenter of the world pandemic.

April 2020 will be remembered as the month the higher ed furloughs began. Colleges sent students home last month and shifted to online instruction. Now the focus has moved to addressing the massive revenue losses and cost increases that colleges must absorb this year, and in the future.

International Dark Sky Week kicks off with virtual and home-based night sky experiences. This year it runs from April 19 to 26 and includes the peak of the Lyrids meteor shower on April 22.

Today's Must-Read

With America stuck at home, cannabis demand is at an all-time high.

“We joked that it would be 420 all month because it’s April 2020, but it came true,” says one Colorado chain dispensary owner. “If you look at sales day over day, the month of April is perhaps the most consistent and sustained bump in sales that we’ve ever seen.” Despite COVID-19, or maybe because of it, this 420 is likely to break last year’s record. 

While other industries have been crushed by the coronavirus lockdown, including restaurants, hospitality, and gambling, the cannabis industry has enjoyed a generous lift. Despite the cancellation of every 420 event—concerts and ganja gatherings that bring tens thousands of tourists to legal states—data suggests that this will be the biggest 420 in terms of sales, topping last year’s $90 million in sales.

“When I set out to report this story, I figured that 420 was going to be a bust because of COVID-19, says reporter Will Yakowicz, new to the Vices beat. Not so. Boredom, fear and anxiety are driving regulars to buy more than before COVID-19, say dispensary owners. “They just want help and they’re finding that in cannabis.”

Across Forbes

Forbes Advisor: The CARES Act makes it easier to withdraw funds from tax-advantaged retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs for investors impacted by coronavirus. Temporary CARES Act measures eliminate tax penalties on certain early withdrawals and relax rules on loans.