Roger Stone, the longtime Republican operative, ally and friend of President Donald Trump, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering. It’s unclear whether the self-proclaimed dirty trickster will ever do time. Trump has hinted that he may pardon Stone, whose prosecution he openly criticized in comments widely seen as damaging to the credibility of the Justice Department. And the president made it clear this week that he’s more than happy to pardon controversial convicts. —Josh Petri

Here are today’s top stories

The coronavirus is shed in the feces of infected people, which may explain why it spread so fast, according to Chinese researchers. The global death toll now stands at 2,129. The outbreak has overwhelmed China’s health-care system, leaving those with other urgent medical conditions in the lurch.

Trump regularly takes credit for a stellar stock market and a growing economy, despite critics who contend President Barack Obama’s policies are their true foundation. But on Thursday, Trump’s administration admitted what economists have long considered obvious: His trade war on China has damaged American economic growth.

Democratic presidential hopefuls unleashed their fiercest attacks of the 2020 campaign on each other Wednesday night. Michael Bloomberg, who spent a record $220.4 million on his campaign last month, sought to shrug off his rocky performance.

Victoria’s Secret will go private in a deal that values the troubled lingerie brand at $1.1 billion. Founder Leslie Wexner will step down.

U.S. regulators banned most flavored e-cigarettes this year, but left a loophole wide enough for a legion of shadowy imitators to crawl through.

Apple may allow users to choose third-party apps as their default options on its mobile devices after criticism that the company gives an unfair advantage to its in-house products.

What’s Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director says it’s virtually impossible to pinpoint how close you are to the top while in the midst of a hype cycle. But when you look at some of the unbelievable action in stocks like Tesla, Plug Power and Virgin Galactic, Joe contends we may be close. 

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

• Morgan Stanley agreed to buy E*Trade for $13 billion.
• U.S. stocks slumped and the dollar jumped.
• America’s coal miners aren’t dead. They’re predicting a comeback.
• Turkey wants U.S. Patriot missiles to deter Russia in Syria.
• N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo accuses Trump of extortion.
• The guilt-free engagement ring is here.
• In America’s richest town, $500,000 a year is now below average.

What you’ll want to read in Bloomberg Green

The Software Behind Your Cup of Coffee

More than 20 million farmers work to feed the world’s insatiable appetite for coffee. Humanity consumes a half-trillion cups each year, almost double the number a decade ago. The industry though is facing dire economic and environmental pressure. One of the biggest issues is the preposterously complex supply chain: Beans can change hands a half-dozen times as they move through the process of harvesting, drying, fermenting, storing, importing, and roasting before they’re brewed into a cup of joe. Cropster, a data-management app, has helped the coffee industry build the digital infrastructure to keep small agriculture alive. Now it wants to save the global food supply.

Like Bloomberg’s Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com. You’ll get our unmatched global news coverage and two premium daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close, and much, much more. See our limited-time introductory offer.

Submit a tip to Bloomberg. Do you have a confidential news tip? Here are the ways you can get in touch with our reporters.

Download the Bloomberg app: It’s available for iOS and Android.

Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. Learn more.