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Coronavirus: Music Streaming Numbers Are Down

Jonathan Antonio
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0
Coronavirus: Music Streaming Numbers Are Down

The Coronavirus pandemic is causing millions of people to quarantine and self isolate in their homes. You would assume since more people are spending time inside, they would be listening to more music. However, streaming music has decreased in the United States.

According to analytics provider Alpha Data, NME says streams in the United States dropped 7.6 percent during the week of March 13 to March 19, which is around the time self-isolation became a national battle cry to combat the Coronavirus. Meanwhile, digital song sales dropped 10.7 percent, digital album sales fell by 12.4 percent, and physical album sales dropped to 27.6 percent. The physical album sales drop is not too surprising as many record stores shut down, and Amazon has put selling CDs and vinyl records on hiatus.

However, some parts of the music industry are seeking a rise in streams. Streams of classical music are upward by 1.5 perfect, while folk music is up by 2.9 percent, and children’s music has seen a 3.8-percent gain.

In relevant news, this company will pay you $1,000 to binge-watch ‘Ozark’ season 3. ‘Ozark’ season 3 is returning to Netflix, and while millions of people are practicing social distancing, here’s an excellent opportunity to get paid to watch the drama series.

Project Casting reports, Internet Advisor is looking to pay someone $1,000  to binge-watch seasons 1 and 2 of the Netflix show. The chosen applicant will need to watch all 20 hours of season 1 and 2 of ‘Ozark’ and complete the research questionnaire they will provide while they are watching.

China, America and the Coronavirus & The Shared Necessity Amid a Pandemic

Reginald Edward
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0
China, America and the Coronavirus & The Shared Necessity Amid a Pandemic

The United States is still doing business with China. For your information, China makes many products found on Amazon. According to the latest business information data released by Amazon, the data shows that an average of 40 percent or more of the sellers is China businesses; this data was collected from the top 10,000 Sellers are a massive increase from 26 percent, up from 2 years ago (May 10, 2019). Overall, there are approximately 200,000 Chinese businesses currently selling on Amazon.

China purchased $165 billion in goods and services from the US in 2015; this represents 7.3 percent of all US exports and about 1 percent of total US economic output, according to the US-China Business Council.
In 2019, the US trade deficit with China was $345.6 billion. The most significant categories of US imports from China were computers, cell phones, apparel, toys, and sporting goods. China’s most significant imports from the US were commercial aircraft, soybeans, and semi-conductors.
Everyone has some working knowledge of President Trump’s trade war with China, where he has imposed a tariff (tax) on imported goods from China. China’s response was to tax US imports, and they reduced their imports of soybeans from $12 billion to $8 billion.
To date, the relationship between China and the United States is strained. But it has been strained for some 40 years going back to when President Nixon first reached out to the People’s Republic of China. Currently, the two hot topics that reported the most about are trade wars and Coronavirus. According to the Brookings Institute, four major structural discontinuities have put the relationship on a steep decline.
  • (1) both countries have grown dissatisfied with previous security issues
  • (2) China’s emergence as a global rule-maker
  • (3) China’s rise from a low-wage manufacturing hub to a technology power and
  • (4) unresolved questions about the nature of ideological or systems competition are fueling the tensions.

There is not a quick and easy fix since both countries are too big and powerful. A repair would require statesmanship, patience, and courage. It will come from a realization that both countries have a shared necessity.

In related news, the Coronavirus is killing jobs and leaving millions of Americans unemployed. 

According to Goldman Sachs, more than 2 million Americans are set to lose their jobs and file unemployment by next week due to a massive “unprecedented surge” in layoffs. Goldman Sachs analysts added March 15 to the 21st will see “the largest increase in initial jobless claims and the highest level on record.”

If analysts are correct, the number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment will be more than triple the all-time high set in the early 1980s, and nearly four times as many as seen during the peak of the Great Recession.

Airbnb is Fielding Offers from Investment Firms

Reginald Edward
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0
Airbnb is Fielding Offers from Investment Firms

The Coronavirus is impacting Airbnb. According to CNBC, the room rental platform is looking for offers from large investment firms.

As Airbnb was getting ready to go public in 2020 through an IPO or direct listing, the coronavirus crisis has the company putting that decision on hold. During this coronavirus outbreak and volatile market, it is very difficult for any company to go public.

In 2017, Airbnb sold stock to venture capitalists at $31 billion valuations. The company later sold stock at a $35 billion valuation, through their purchase of HotelTonight, and in 2019, the company had an internal valuation of $38 billion.

Why would Airbnb look for outside investment at this time? Axios reports this is “protection money”. The company reportedly does have a lot of liquidity and has not laid off any employees. But, as quarterly losses continue to climb and travel expected to decrease by 50% in the future, the company’s growth could stop.

For risky investors, this is an opportunity to invest in a company, which would continue to grow, once the pandemic comes to an end.

In related news, on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin revealed details of the Trump administration‘s financial plan to send money as part of a stimulus package to soften the blow of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Mnuchin said in a Fox Business Network interview discussing the fiscal stimulus plan. Congressional leaders are talking about the plans, which would send payments to Americans. The total cost of the stimulus plan would total $500 billion, and the government will divide the money into two large amounts.

“The first one would be $1,000 per person, $500 per child,” Mnuchin said. “So for a family of four, that’s a $3,000 payment.”

“As soon as Congress passes this, we get this out in three weeks. And then, six weeks later, if the president still has a national emergency, we’ll deliver another $3,000,” Mnuchin said.

Coronavirus Is Killing Jobs Leaving Millions Unemployed

Jonathan Antonio
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2
Coronavirus Is Killing Jobs Leaving Millions Unemployed

Americans filing for unemployment benefits reached its highest numbers in two years for the week of March 14. However, job losses are expected to climb in the next few weeks.

According to Goldman Sachs, more than 2 million Americans are set to lose their jobs and file unemployment by next week due to a massive “unprecedented surge” in layoffs. Goldman Sachs analysts added March 15 to the 21st will see “the largest increase in initial jobless claims and the highest level on record.”

If analysts are correct, the number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment will be more than triple the all-time high set in the early 1980s, and nearly four times as many as seen during the peak of the Great Recession.

Wall Street Journal reports the Trump administration has asked states to delay the release of the unemployment numbers.

Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and an expert on unemployment, told CBS News, Thursday’s numbers do not account for the amount of website unemployment claims.”

Goldman Sachs predicts “an unprecedented decline in revenues across many industries.” Analysts added, “Consumer spending on sports and entertainment, hotels, restaurants, and public transportation, in particular, have already dropped dramatically.”

Economists predicted the economy would suffer long-term damage due to the Coronavirus. 

But some companies are still hiring. As Project Casting reported on Friday, Slack is now hiring people to work from home. 

Slack is an emerging tech company whose mission is to make work easier, simple, and efficient. “We believe that culture is the compass to success, and so our Slack Values are woven into the fabric of all we do. We seek exceptional talent that is eager to do the best work of their life while supporting others in doing the same.”

Slack is now seeking and hiring people to work from home for their growing business. At this time, Slack is looking for Account Executives to work remotely and handle their enterprise sales. 

Project Casting also posted a casting call for people who are social distancing and self-isolating during the Coronavirus outbreak. People can get paid up to $2,000 for appearing in an upcoming commercial in Canada.

Disney Fans Claim ‘Tangled’ Predicted the Coronavirus Ten Years Ago

Jonathan Antonio
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0
Disney Fans Claim ‘Tangled’ Predicted the Coronavirus Ten Years Ago

Disney fans claim ‘Tangled’ predicted the Coronavirus in 2010.

The 2010 animated movie, a wicked witch named Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel to live in a locked tower.

Many have compared Rapunzel’s sheltered life to the self-isolating mandates associated with the coronavirus but, there’s a huge twist. The name of the kingdom is called Corona, which is the kingdom that also shares the same name as the viral disease.

The coincidence was first reported by a Facebook user, who shared a conversation with a friend who pointed out Rapunzel is “quarantined” in a town called Corona.

According to The Sun, the post received more than 800 shares with many shocked by the coincidence.

In related coronavirus news, the United States is now testing two drugs to treat the Coronavirus COVID-19.

Reuters reported scientists at the University of Minnesota are testing two drugs. Hydroxychloroquine and blood pressure drug losartan are being treated to see if either drug is effective in blocking the virus’s reproductive processes.

“We are trying to leverage the science to see if we can do something in addition to minimizing contacts,” Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean of the University of Minnesota’s medical school, told Reuters. “Results are likely in weeks, not months.”

Tolar added the drugs are relatively inexpensive to buy as they are generic replacements for branded prescription drugs. “We don’t need a multibillion-dollar investment. It is part of the beauty of this approach,” Tolar said.

Coronavirus: Facebook To Give $1,000 Bonus to Employees, Not Contractors (UPDATE)

Jonathan Antonio
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0
Coronavirus: Facebook To Give $1,000 Bonus to Employees, Not Contractors (UPDATE)

According to The Intercept, Facebook employees will receive a $1,000 bonus but not contractors.

Techcrunch estimates Facebook has 15,000 content moderators working through third-party jobbers. In a interview with the BBC, Zuckerberg stated that Facebook full-time employees will take over judgments about sensitive topics, including self-harm and suicide, in part to decrease the mental health repercussions of viewing such content on third-partyt\ contractors, and continued he was “personally quite worried that the isolation from people being at home could potentially lead to more depression or mental health issues, and I want to make sure that we are ahead of that supporting our community.”

(Original Report: March 17, 2020) On Tuesday, Facebook told employees the social media giant would give each of them a $1,000 bonus to support them during the Coronavirus outbreak.

According to CNBC, the announcement was made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an internal memo to employees.

Currently, Facebook has 45,000 full-time employees but also employs thousands of contract employees. Now, it is not clear if those contracted employees will also receive the bonus.

Facebook is not the only company providing its employees with cash bonuses. Workday announced Monday it would pay cash bonuses worth two weeks’ pay to their employees.

Facebook on Tuesday also announced a $100 million program to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The program’s mission is to provide 30,000 eligible small businesses cash grants and ad credits during the pandemic.

As we previously reported, COVID-19 has already had a significant impact on the economy with forecasts suggesting things will not get better. But, it has had a substantial effect on Facebook itself. Shares of the social media company are down more than 28% year-to-date as Wall Street fears go viral through the market.

Facebook canceled its F8 annual developer’s conference. Earlier this month, Facebook told employees to work from home and pulled out of other meetings.

In other news, President Donald Trump advised limiting interactions and gatherings to 10 people or less. The number of states and cities are calling for people to engage in social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic is rising. On Tuesday, health officials have issued an important message for all Americans to limit social interactions to help healthcare systems prevent a rise of patients. As of Tuesday, 87 Americans have died with 4,490 infections, an increase of 1,000 confirmed infections from Sunday.

Porsche Shuts Down Production for Weeks

Reginald Edward
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0
Porsche Shuts Down Production for Weeks

The global Coronavirus pandemic is having a serious impact on businesses around the world. After several car shows were canceled or delayed including the 2020 Geneva Motor Show and the 2020 New York Auto Show, multiple manufacturers suspended production to reduce the spread of the virus. These manufacturers include:

  • Ferrari
  • Lamborghini
  • Maserati
  • Volkswagen
  • Porsche

Porsche announced on Thursday, the manufacturer will suspend production amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Porsche made the decision due to global supply chain disruption and declining customer demand. Their headquarters n Zuffenhausen, Germany, and the production plant in Leipzig, Germany, from Saturday, March 21, for an initial period of two weeks to protect staff and reduce financial losses.

“With these measures, our company contributes to protect the workforce and reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The actual consequences are not yet predictable. It is therefore too early for forecasts. What is clear is that 2020 will be a very challenging year,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.

“We can only overcome the pandemic together and by taking rigorous measures,” Porsche says it will continue to look at the situation, but the hiatus could extend pass March 21st considering how fast the virus is spreading. 

Porsche is banning all business travel, office employees are to work remotely, and meetings should not take place in person resulting in teleconference only conferences.

President Donald Trump urged restricting social interactions and gatherings to 10 people or less. The number of municipalities calling for people to engage in social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic is rising. On Tuesday, health officials have announced an urgent message for all Americans to limit social interactions to help healthcare systems prevent a rise of patients. As of Tuesday, 87 Americans have died with 4,490 infections, an increase of 1,000 confirmed infections from Sunday.

In related news, economists believe things will get a lot worse due to the Coronavirus COVID-19.

Ian Shepherdson, a chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, states everything will get graver.

“We now guesstimate that second-quarter GDP will drop at a 10% annualized rate, after a 2% fall in Q1,” said Ian Shepherdson, said in a note to clients on Monday.

His forecast suggests consumer spending will decrease in the next few months.

“We are becoming more pessimistic about the near-term economic outlook,” Shepherdson says.

“Discretionary consumers’ spending — that is, consumption excluding housing, healthcare, food, and energy — accounts for some 39% of GDP, and some of the major components are set for massive second quarter meltdowns… We are penciling-in a 20% plunge in discretionary consumers’ spending in the second quarter, enough alone to subtract some eight percentage points from GDP growth.”

U.S. is Now Testing Two Drugs to Treat the Coronavirus

Brent Edward
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0
U.S. is Now Testing Two Drugs to Treat the Coronavirus

The United States is now testing two drugs to treat coronavirus treatments.

Reuters reported scientists at the University of Minnesota are testing two drugs. Hydroxychloroquine and blood pressure drug losartan are being treated to see if either drug is effective in blocking the virus’s reproductive processes.

“We are trying to leverage the science to see if we can do something in addition to minimizing contacts,” Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean of the University of Minnesota’s medical school, told Reuters. “Results are likely in weeks, not months.”

Tolar added the drugs are relatively inexpensive to buy as they are generic replacements for branded prescription drugs. “We don’t need a multibillion-dollar investment. It is part of the beauty of this approach,” Tolar said.

Losartan is an enzyme receptor and could prevent the virus from attaching to host cells in the victim’s body and possibly preventing future infections. Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria around the world and could suppress the proteins that cause fatal inflammation in those affected by the disease, Reuters reports.

At this time, a 1,500 patient trial started testing hydroxychloroquine, and two experiments testing the use of losartan are ongoing.

In related news, researchers find people with Blood Type A are more vulnerable to COVID-19. A new study in China revealed people with blood type A are more susceptible to the coronavirus in comparison to other blood groups.

Researchers took blood group patterns of over 2,000 patients infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan and Shenzhen and compared it with people from other regions. The study concluded people with blood type A were more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and higher chances to develop more severe symptoms.

Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: Trump Wants To Give Checks of $1,000 for Adults, $500 for Kids

Jonathan Antonio
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0
Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: Trump Wants To Give Checks of $1,000 for Adults, $500 for Kids

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin revealed details of the Trump administration‘s financial plan to send money as part of a stimulus package to soften the blow of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Mnuchin said in a Fox Business Network interview discussing the fiscal stimulus plan. Congressional leaders are talking about the plans, which would send payments to Americans. The total cost of the stimulus plan would total $500 billion, and the government will divide the money into two large amounts.

“The first one would be $1,000 per person, $500 per child,” Mnuchin said. “So for a family of four, that’s a $3,000 payment.”

“As soon as Congress passes this, we get this out in three weeks. And then, six weeks later, if the president still has a national emergency, we’ll deliver another $3,000,” Mnuchin said.

Steven Mnuchin
Wahington DC, USA, 18th, January, 2017 Steven Mnuchin testifies at the Senate Finance Committee during his confirmation hearing on his appointment by President Donald Trump as Treasury Secretary (Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com)

This news comes after the United States stock market dropped Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Averages futures were down more than 900 points, which is approximately 4%, as the stock market deals with the coronavirus pandemic.

President Trump, on Wednesday, revealed via Twitter that the U.S. border with Canada would be closed temporarily, but “trade will not be affected.” Trump’s actions are the latest of a series of border shutdowns, mandates, and advisories around the world to combat the Coronavirus.

According to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/ Marist poll, nearly 1 in 5 households are experiencing a layoff or a cut in work hours. As Project Casting reports, AMC movie theaters are closing their doors for the next 6 to 12 weeks. Meanwhile, new policies are forcing businesses to shut down or change their business model.

Mnuchin said White House’s plan would set aside $300 billion for small businesses and “loan forgiveness” for employees who keep their workers on the payroll. $200 billion would be used for “more facilities” with the United States Federal Reserve and lending towards industries severely damaged by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Despite the attempt to boost the economy with Trump’s financial plan, there is some political push back. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued on Wednesday sending one-or-two time checks is not enough to support the American people who lose their jobs. Instead, Schumer suggested “beefed-up” unemployment insurance for “for a much longer time and would provide a much bigger safety net.”

This Company Will Pay You $1,000 To Binge-Watch Netflix’s ‘Ozark’

Jonathan Antonio
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0
This Company Will Pay You $1,000 To Binge-Watch Netflix’s ‘Ozark’

According to Project Casting, Internet Advisor will pay you $1,000 to binge-watch Netflix’s ‘Ozark‘.

‘Ozark’ season 3 is returning to Netflix and while millions of people are practicing social distancing, here’s a great opportunity to get paid to watch the drama series.

Project Casting reports, Internet Advisor is looking to pay someone $1,000  to binge-watch seasons 1 and 2 of the Netflix show. The chosen applicant will need to watch all 20 hours of season 1 and 2 of ‘Ozark’ and complete the research questionnaire they will provide while they are watching.

From Internet Advisor:

You Already Love Ozarks Now Get To Paid To Binge Watch It

Yeah, you heard me right. I bet now you’re wondering how to go about that. Who wouldn’t want to receive some cash for watching the best TV show Ozark?

And now or never, you can also change your luck this March like Marty, when InternetAdvisor.com gives you the chance to watch about 20 hours of Ozark for $1000.

Ozark’s first episode aired in July 2017, and since then, nothing has been the same for Marty and his family. And it’s about to change for you. You can start by getting your popcorn ready and a cozy blanket to watch Ozark Season 1 and 2. We mean it when we say we’ll pay you a whopping $1000 to watch 20 hours of the series.

You saw it with your two naked-eyes when the cartel killed Marty’s business partner and his girlfriend after they suspected he was skimming them money. And Marty was next, but being a quick thinker, he manages to save his life by promising to launder 500 million dollars in five years out in the Ozarks as a way of payback. Now, you can earn $1000 bucks to watch Ozark all over again.

For more information and how to apply, visit projectcasting.com

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Get Paid $1,000 To Binge-Watch Netflix’s ‘Ozark’! Click the link in our bio to apply! #Netflix #Ozark #jobsearch

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In related entertainment news, developers just made watching Netflix with your friend even easier with an unofficial “Netflix Party” Google Chrome extension.

The Google Chrome extension, which has been available for a while now, is described as an add-on that “synchronizes video playback and adds a group chat to your favorite Netflix shows,” and is going viral as health officials call for social distancing due to the coronavirus.

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