Start your Monday smart: US states reopen, ‘Parks & Rec,’ Ohio primary, May Day
Mental Health Month begins Friday, and not a moment too soon. Here are some resources and methods to help you face the emotional challenges of this pandemic in the healthiest way possible.
Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
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TODAY
• Some US states begin to reopen. Ready or not, some states are beginning to reopen even as the US closes in on 1 million coronavirus cases. Stay-at-home orders and business closures in places including Georgia, Tennessee and Texas are falling away this week, even though a data model often cited by the White House advises most states to wait several more weeks — or even months — before loosening social distancing rules. Check where your state stands.
MONDAY
• Boeing holds its shareholders meeting. The virtual session may offer insights into how the plane maker is weathering the pandemic and its expectations for air travel’s rebound. Carriers already have reported billions of dollars in losses this year.
TUESDAY
• The NTSB probes the fatal duck boat wreck. The National Transportation Safety Board is due to meet to determine the probable cause of the fatal 2018 duck boat sinking in Branson, Missouri. One crew member and 16 passengers, including nine members of a single family, died when the vessel capsized during a storm.
• Buckeye Democrats vote for a nominee. It’s Ohio’s primary, but there’s no in-person voting because of the pandemic. Instead, mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Monday or dropped off at county boards of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
• The Vice President meets US coronavirus response teams. Mike Pence is due to travel to Rochester, Minnesota, to tour the Mayo Clinic facilities supporting Covid-19 research and treatment. Two days later, he’s expected to head to Kokomo in his home state of Indiana to visit a GM plant that’s been revamped to build ventilators.
WEDNESDAY
• The Federal Reserve chair speaks with reporters. Jerome Powell is due to hold a video news conference following the two-day Federal Open Markets Committee meeting. He could offer another glimpse into the disastrous economic effects of the pandemic, which one European economist called a “house of horror.”
THURSDAY
• The Vietnam War marks a milestone. April 30 marks the 45th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam, ending the almost 20-year conflict. Meanwhile, after a thawing between the two Koreas, relations again have faltered in step with shakier ties between the US and North Korea.
• ‘Parks and Rec’ is back. It’s a Pawnee reunion! NBC is airing “A Parks and Recreation Special,” a new, 30-minute episode of the beloved sitcom to benefit Feeding America. The scripted, social distancing-themed episode will feature all of your favorite Pawneeans and some special guests. Catch it at 8:30 pm ET.
FRIDAY
• Time to flip the calendar. Will April showers bring May flowers? Friday ushers in a new month, and with it, a traditional celebration of springtime. May Day also shares a date with International Workers Day, which traces its history back to Chicago’s violent Haymarket Affair in 1886.
SATURDAY
• More Democratic ballots are due. Guam and Kansas wrap up their primary elections. Voting has been open in Kansas since the end of March, when the state decided to switch to a mail-in-only format. Meanwhile, Guam will award a total of 11 delegates during its caucus.
