U.S. Tops 1 Million Cases | Pence Unmasked | For Netflix, 'Social Distancing' Is The New Black

Plus: Earning More On Unemployment Than The Job

Know Now

• U.S. Coronavirus Cases Passes 1 Million—A Third Of All Cases Globally

• Putin Lengthens Lockdown As Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpasses China

• Trump Suggests That Federal Bailouts For States Could Depend On Sanctuary City Policies

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson And Fiancee Carrie Symonds Announce Birth Of Son

• Streaming-Only Films Will Now Be Considered For Oscar Nomination Because Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Top Take-Aways

The Trump Administration is “studying very carefully” whether to provide another round of stimulus checks–the first time the White House has publicly hinted at additional payments since the most recent legislation was passed.

Big tech reports during coronavirus: Google parent Alphabet beat Q1 revenue expectations despite slowing ad sales; first quarter revenue hit $41.2 billion. Uber is reportedly considering laying off up to 20% of its workforce, or some 5,400 employees. Last month business was down by as much as 70% in major cities.

VP Pence defied Mayo Clinic guidelines by not wearing a mask during an official visit even though he was told of its safety policy. Pence said that since he doesn’t have the disease, he thought it'd be a good opportunity “to be able to speak to these incredible healthcare personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you.”

For the first time in more than a month, New Orleans reported no new coronavirus deaths on Monday—but it only lasted a day. It was the first time the Big Easy reported no fatalities from the virus since March 22. 

Workers in over 25 states are earning more, on average, from unemployment benefits than they earned while working. Why go back?

Filming on Hollywood sets has largely been suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, but Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan is getting started on a new Netflix series called Social Distancing. Set during the coronavirus pandemic, it will feature actors filming themselves at home.

Today's Must-Read

A sixth sense for spotting the next big thing is key to success in venture capital. Last December, Alexis Ohanian sensed an opportunity to disrupt the archaic small business lending game and knew he had to place a bet.

Ohanian, cofounder of Reddit and managing partner at Initialized Capital, alongside Andrew Lee, his partner at Initialized and former senior advisor to the Small Business Administration, has invested in Betterfin, a Y Combinator-backed fintech that helps small business owners manage financing and credit.

“This is a company we were excited about last year and invested in before anyone could have predicted this pandemic and the resulting recession from it,” says Ohanian. “The reason we invested was because SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] are the lifeblood of the American economy.”

“It’s a massive $800 billion annual market,” notes Small Business Senior Editor Maneet Ahuja. But for Ohanian, it’s personal. “It’s vital that we get money back into the small businesses in America and back into Main Street,” says Ohanian. “Those dollars are going to stay in the communities, those dollars are going to get spent and keep this economy moving.”  

Across Forbes

Forbes Advisor: If you've reduced your driving for the long haul, pay-per-mile car insurance could save you money. But it's not the best option if you'll resume a long commute later.