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| Welcome to Wednesday, Daily Briefing readers! Have you found a new hobby while spending more time at home? My colleague Carly Mallenbaum is learning how to play the piano and so is Priyanka Chopra, thanks to her musician husband, Nick Jonas. If you haven't picked up a new skill, that's OK too. You don't have to be productive in quarantine. |
| Today, a report on the GDP is set to reveal early economic fallout from the coronavirus, more states are lifting social distancing restrictions and a massive asteroid zoomed past Earth. |
| It's N'dea and here's what you need to know today. |
| P.S. Are you a health care professional on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19? The Short List wants to feature your story. Email TheShortList@usatoday.com. |
GDP report, Fed assessment to detail coronavirus' damage |
| The government's report Wednesday on the economy's severe contraction during the first three months of the year will provide the first sweeping snapshot of damage wrought by the coronavirus. Even so, those ugly numbers — a Bloomberg survey predicts a GDP plunge of 3.8% — will likely be dwarfed in the current, second quarter. Later Wednesday, the Federal Reserve is expected to fill out the grisly picture by downgrading its view of the economy and renewing its vow to help the nation weather the storm and bolster an expected recovery in the second half of the year. |
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You can save a local business |
| Now, more than ever, local businesses need your support. Support local by purchasing a gift card at supportlocal.usatoday.com to help your favorite business stay afloat. |
Southeast targeted by big storms, again |
| A major outbreak of severe weather is forecast across the southern Plains into early Wednesday, with portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas at the greatest risk for the fierce storms. Massive hail, hurricane-force winds and a few tornadoes are all possible, forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center said, warning that a "damaging squall line is expected." This week's outbreak of severe weather continues a stormy pattern that's plagued the southern U.S. this year. According to AccuWeather, 2020 continues on a trend to be among the nation's top years for tornadoes. So far this year, through April 26, 492 tornadoes have been reported across the nation, far above the to-date average of 307. |
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Tennessee, Wisconsin ease social distancing |
| A day after the United States marked 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, Tennessee and Wisconsin are lifting some of their social distancing restrictions . Retail stores in Tennessee will be permitted to reopen Wednesday, with the number of customers limited to 50% regular capacity. The all-clear does not apply to Tennessee's largest cities — Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and others — where local authorities are determining their own reopening plans. In Wisconsin, businesses that can offer services "free of contact with customers" like dog groomers, upholsterers and lawnmower repair shops can reopen Wednesday. Outdoor recreational vehicle rentals like those who deal with boats, golf carts, kayaks and ATVs can also reopen, as can automatic or self-service car washes. |
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Want more coronavirus news? Here's the latest |
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| Sign up for more updates on coronavirus news here. |
NCAA to discuss the issue of student-athletes making money |
| After meeting on Monday and Tuesday, the NCAA Board of Governors will conduct a conference call Wednesday morning to discuss the issue of student-athletes earning money from their names, images and likenesses . If adopted, the rules would, as early as next year, allow athletes to make sponsorship and endorsement deals with all kinds of companies and third parties, from car dealerships to concert promoters to pizza shops, the Associated Press reports. Joining NCAA President Mark Emmert on the conference call will be Big East commissioner Val Ackerman, and Ohio State President Michael Drake and athletic director Gene Smith. NCAA schools were to be presented with a "very robust set of proposals" concerning changes to rules governing athletes' ability to make money. |
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Need a break from coronavirus news? |
| Here's what else people are talking about: |
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A massive asteroid looks like it's wearing a face mask 😷 |
| An asteroid hurtled close to the Earth on Wednesday , and with it, a startling reminder of the coronavirus pandemic — it looks as if it's wearing its own face mask. The space rock, known as 1998 OR2, zoomed by Earth at 5:59 a.m. ET. Despite the impossibility of it posing a threat to humans anytime soon, it's classified as a "potentially hazardous" asteroid because it is more than 500 feet in diameter and closer than 4,650,000 miles to Earth. But don't worry — experts say it poses no threat to Earth. |
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In better news: Kentucky governor and Tupac Shakur squash their beef 🤝 |
| Kentucky state officials are working to resolve an unemployment claim filed last month by Tupac Shakur, a man not related to the iconic hip-hop artist, after Gov. Andy Beshear pointed it out on Monday as an example of fake claims that had been filed in the commonwealth. |
| "The governor was advised that a fraudulent claim had been filed in the name of Tupac Shakur. It now appears that a Kentuckian by that name has filed a claim," Beshear spokesman, Sebastian Kitchen, told The Courier Journal on Tuesday. "This morning, Gov. Beshear called Mr. Shakur to apologize. The Office of Unemployment Insurance is working to resolve the claim." |
| With all eyes on him during his Tuesday news conference, Beshear again apologized and thanked Shakur for being "so kind" during their conversation earlier. |
| Shakur's response? I ain't mad at cha, according to Beshear. |
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