With the third U.S. coronavirus bailout under consideration in the Senate, Democrats have released the updated version of the $1.9 trillion package that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said will pass the chamber by the end of the week. Here’s what’s inside. —David E. Rovella Bloomberg is tracking the progress of coronavirus vaccines while mapping the pandemic globally and across America. Here are today’s top stories The U.S. government slammed the Myanmar military junta led by Min Aung Hlaing, which after seizing power a month ago detained elected officials and ordered security forces to attack citizens, shooting many dead in the streets during peaceful demonstrations. Another 38 protesters were killed on Wednesday, including teenagers, bringing the number of civilian killings at the hands of the regime to more than 50 with at least 1,200 detained, including two dozen journalists. A U.S. State Department spokesman called the killings “repulsive.” A protester holds bullet cartridges from security forces who had been shooting at peaceful demonstrators at a rally against the military coup in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Feb. 26. Photographer: STR/AFP The Thursday rout in technology shares sent the Nasdaq 100 toward a correction before a late-day bounce. The index, heavily weighted toward the biggest tech companies, slid as much as 2.9% before closing 1.7% lower. Here is your markets wrap. The head of the world’s biggest vaccine maker and the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said manufacturers of coronavirus shots face a global shortage of raw materials needed to churn out inoculations. The source of the bottleneck? A U.S. law. Here is the latest on the pandemic. Last spring, against the stern warnings of health experts, Republican governors in southern U.S. states rolled back precautions and lockdowns as the first wave of the pandemic started to recede. The result was a second wave over the summer that killed tens of thousands of their constituents. Now with the third and most deadly wave slowly ebbing, they are doing it again. President Joe Biden called the move by Texas and Mississippi “Neanderthal.” Medical professionals treat a patient in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston on July 28. Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spiked after Texas reopened prematurely last spring, pushing ICUs to full capacity and eventually leading to tens of thousands of deaths. Photographer: Go Nakamura/Getty Images North America A government watchdog warned that the U.S. military has failed to adequately include cybersecurity provisions in contracts for acquiring weapons systems. Currently, suspected Russian government hackers may still be inside systems of multiple federal agencies and private companies they infiltrated through software made by Texas-based SolarWinds. The U.S. and U.K. are weighing the extreme step of targeting Russia’s sovereign debt over its alleged use of chemical weapons, including the failed attempt to assassinate opposition leader Alexei Navalny. If you’re in the U.S. andstarting to think about taxes, you should be. Only six weeks stand between you and when they’re due. But never fear: Here’s a handy guide on how to file your taxes after working remotely, trading stocks in your pajamas and generally making it through 2020 in one piece. What you’ll need to know tomorrow What you’ll want to read in Bloomberg PursuitsThe Fasano flagship in São Paulo is an unforgettable hotel. Its entryway, just off the luxury retail corridor of Rua Oscar Freire, is completely sheathed in up-lit wood paneling that shimmers like gold. Inside, masculine leather chairs and a geometric lattice ceiling create a uniquely Brazilian expression of mid-century design. Bossa Nova plays in the bar where dressed-up mixologists shake caipirinhas with stylish swagger. It’s no wonder that decades into its existence, Fasano’s glamorous reputation remains untouchable in Brazil. Now all of that is coming to New York, where the brand has opened its first North American outpost. But chances are, you won’t be able to see any of it for yourself. Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg Like getting the Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and gain expert analysis from exclusive subscriber-only newsletters. China is one of the world’s biggest stories. Sign up to receive Next China, a weekly dispatch on where China stands and where it's headed next. 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. |