Image courtesy of color885
Company Culture
You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the swaths of “nonessential” businesses closing their doors, an estimated 250,000 according to GlobalData Retail, many of which may never reopen. But amid our discussion of the “losing” businesses, it’s also worth considering who exactly are the “winners” in a pandemic. Some, like Amazon (3.0 stars) — CEO Jeff Bezos’ wealth has notably grown by $5.5 billion since January—and Walmart (2.5 stars) are fairly obvious as they were already giants in the world of ecommerce. Not only are these companies poised to survive the outbreak, but they’re also expected to thrive even beyond the quarantine as people continue to choose to shop online even after things return to normal. Demand for services such as Zoom and DocuSign (3.2 stars) is driving revenue for companies that facilitate remote work. More unexpectedly, manufacturers such as Campbell Soup Company (3.2 stars) have been unexpectedly revived after years of declining sales. VICE
Coronavirus has hit the food and drinks industry perhaps hardest of all. Loyal patrons are attempting to aid their favorite establishments by ordering takeout, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll survive the pandemic. Not least because takeout and delivery apps like UberEats, DoorDash (2.8 stars) , and GrubHub (3.3 stars) , take hefty cuts of a restaurant’s profit. To help out local eateries, order directly through the restaurant’s website or by phone and pick up your order yourself if you’re able. Vox
In response to the additional caregiving duties thrust upon parents due to school closures, Microsoft (3.4 stars) will offer three months paid parental leave to all full-time employees. Eligible employees may choose to take the leave in chunks or all at once. Fast Company
Wendy Clark, global CEO of Omnicom Group's DDB Worldwide (2.5 stars) , will step down from her position to take on a new role as global CEO of Dentsu Group's Dentsu Aegis Network (2.8 stars) . Ad Age
Quick Hits
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle has ruled to uphold the voting rights of all felons in Florida, even those that owe fines and fees stemming from their convictions. Hinkle’s order applies to 1.4 million felons in the state, and upholds the 2018 ruling that gave them the right to vote while striking down additional requirements Republican lawmakers have sought to impose as unlawful poll taxes and other forms of voter suppression. The Washington Post
Cervical cancer, once viewed as the deadliest cancer among women in the U.S., is now relatively rare, thanks to an increase in Pap smear screening and the HPV vaccine. In fact, doctors these days are categorizing it as mostly preventable. But in Alabama, more women are dying from cervical cancer than anywhere else, and Black women are almost twice as likely than white women to die of the disease. Eyal Press examines the complex web of conditions that led the state to this point, including lack of sex education, lower rates of HPV vaccination, the state government’s refusal to expand Medicaid, and high numbers of uninsured working poor women. The New Yorker
Farmworkers are among the most vulnerable workers in the country, even under ordinary circumstances, and are often subjected to low wages, long hours, harsh conditions, and unsuitable housing. They’ve been deemed “essential” workers by the Trump administration and are being encouraged to continue working to keep food supply chains in place, but have been offered no additional protections for their very necessary labor. These workers are some of the key figures keeping society running right now, but they’re doing it without PPE, without opportunity to social distance on the fields or in overcrowded housing, and without readily available soap and handwashing stations. They are denied access to paid sick leave, employment insurance, and undocumented farmworkers are ineligible for many of the provisions in the coronavirus relief bill, such as free COVID-19 testing. Some food for thought as you enjoy your still-available produce. Fortune
Around the World
Argentina: A woman was killed in Argentina every 29 hours during the month of March, for a total of 24 femicides, and at least 86 have occurred in 2020. And now that the country has entered quarantine and women may be locked inside with their abusers, feminist organizations are speaking out against the violence and attempting to provide women with support. "Femicides don't stop in quarantine, and neither does our rage," the feminist collective Ni Una Menos said. Al Jazeera
Afghanistan: Been wondering what the all-girl robotics team initially denied entry to the U.S. in 2017 are up to? After President Trump intervened on their behalf, the Afghan Girls Robotics Team was able to compete in their international robotics competition and brought home a silver medal. Now, that team has reassembled to build ventilators to help their government treat coronavirus. The National
Colombia: The city of Bogota has implemented an unusual method of enforcing the nationwide lockdown to reduce the spread of coronavirus—on even-numbered days of the month, women may go out to buy necessities and on odd-numbered days, men may do so. The policy is intended to help police identify who is violating lockdown recommendations. Bloomberg
