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Wednesday's Daily Briefing: Stimulus checks and a new coronavirus test

Editors  |  Paste BN

Welcome to Wednesday, Daily Briefing readers! Normally, April 15 would mean it's Tax Day, but Uncle Sam is offering taxpayers some relief by pushing the federal tax deadline to July 15. You should probably still double check when your state taxes are due.

Today, millions of Americans will receive their stimulus checks, a new kind of coronavirus test could be rolled out, and it's been one year since the Notre Dame Cathedral burned.

It's N'dea, and here's the news you need to know today.

Millions to receive coronavirus stimulus checks, US Treasury says

More than 80 million Americans are expected to receive coronavirus stimulus checks of up to $1,200 in their bank accounts on Wednesday, according to the Treasury Department. The one-time payments are part of a $2 trillion recovery package designed to help Americans – and the economy – bounce back from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The first checks were delivered via direct deposit on Friday to some who have already provided the Internal Revenue Service with bank account information. But many Americans won’t get a check at all. Many students aren’t eligible for a stimulus check. Neither are some elderly and disabled people. And if you earn more than $99,000 a year, sorry, you’re out of luck. 

New saliva test could revolutionize COVID-19 testing

A new coronavirus saliva test developed at Rutgers University that could dramatically alter the way the coronavirus is detected – potentially accelerating the rate of collections and limiting exposure to health care workers – could be rolled out as soon as Wednesday. The test, which can be self-administered, will allow for broader population screening than the current nose and throat swabs used at testing facilities, Rutgers officials said. The saliva test also lessens the need for valuable personal protective equipment during the testing process. Saliva tests, which typically require patients to spit into a tube, are far less invasive than the current swab methods used to detect coronavirus – which have been described as painful and uncomfortable. 

Want more coronavirus news? Here's the latest

The stimulus cash influx comes a day after the U.S. saw the highest number of deaths during the coronavirus crisis, more than 2,300, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

The U.S. death toll was over 26,000 early Wednesday, with more than 609,500 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. Worldwide, the number of cases was nearing 2 million with over 126,800 deaths.

I’ll be rounding up the biggest updates related to coronavirus every day in the newsletter so you can stay informed. Want daily coronavirus updates in your inbox? Sign up here.

Michigan protesters to 'gridlock' streets to protest stay-home order

Critics of Michigan's expanded stay-home order are planning an in-vehicle protest Wednesday to tell Gov. Gretchen Whitmer they believe she has gone too far. The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund asked for protesters to surround the state Capitol in their vehicles in opposition of Whitmer's "erratic, unilateral orders that threaten Michiganders' economic existence," according to a news release. The protest would come several days after Whitmer extended her order through April 30 and took the requirements of staying home a step further, banning crossing the street to visit with neighbors or driving to see friends, among other things.

One year after the Notre Dame fire, challenges have stunted rebuild

It's been one year since the fire that partly destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and its precious artworks visited by millions each year. The fire on April 15, 2019, burned for hours virtually unabated despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters. French President Emmanuel Macron has promised Notre Dame will reopen to the public by 2024 but some experts previously said the cathedral may never recover. The rehabilitation effort has been stunted by one challenge after another, The Guardian reports. The builders who were part of the operation were sent home March 17, a day after Macron issued a nationwide stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Still, army general Jean-Louis Georgelin, who is in charge of the rebuild, hasn't lost faith. "If everyone rolls up their sleeves and the work is well planned, it is conceivable that returning the cathedral to a place of worship within five years will not be an impossible feat," he told The Guardian. 

Need a break from coronavirus news? We've got you covered

Blanchett, Byrne rule FX on Hulu's powerful ERA drama 'Mrs. America'

"Mrs. America," a mini-series about the fight over the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, premieres Wednesday night on FX on Hulu. In her first TV series, Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett stars as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, a figure who was instrumental in the downfall of the amendment's ratification. On the other side of the issue, "America" has a talented cast portraying leaders of the women's liberation movement, including Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Tracy Ullman as Betty Friedan, Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus and Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug. "Equal parts entertainment and education, 'America' (weekly episodes Wednesdays, ★★★½ out of four) meticulously brings to life the fight for (and against) the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s," Paste BN TV critic Kelly Lawler writes in her review.

In better news: Alexa, play 'Pomp and Circumstance' 🎓

Even as the coronavirus pandemic upends the school year, four high school seniors who work at a Milton, Florida, Winn-Dixie store got to experience a bit of a "normal" senior year by having a mini graduation ceremony after the store closed April 6.  

Donning cardboard graduation caps with tassels made out of receipt paper, the four graduates – Linzie Whitworth, Makayla Penton, Angel Camacho and Jessica Stout, all Winn-Dixie employees – stood in line 6 feet apart by a cash register and waited their turn as their names were called over the intercom. Then, one by one, they received their diplomas – made out of advertising papers.

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