What I'm looking at 3/24/2020

Coronavirus

The coronavirus death toll eclipsed 17,000 over the night. Italy accounts for 6,077 deaths, which is now almost twice as much as the next country, China 3,277. It's not all bad news for Italy though, the worst might be behind them as the death rate drops for the second straight day. In Spain, the story is not as hopeful right now. There are an estimated 4,500 new cases and almost 400 deaths. According to a CNN report, the officials in Spain are having to convert an ice rink to a morgue.

• Further reading on Spain “During some of its visits, the army has seen some totally abandoned elderly people – even some who were dead in their beds,”.

In the US, the state and federal governments are trying to loosen some regulations while clamping down on others. The Trump administration is planning on using the Defense Production Act which would require and provide incentives to businesses to produce goods tied to national defense. This comes while there are reports that President Trump is wanting to get the economy going sooner rather than later. It's an interesting spot for Trump. It seems he is trying to weave together a multitude of solutions and hope he threads the needle in the end.

Further reading on the coronavirus:

• Nigeria reports its first coronavirus-related death
• South Africa goes on lockdown
• Taiwan fines man US$33,000 for breaking quarantine rule

Markets

Companies around the world are still trying to figure out how they are going to survive the global pandemic. Here are some of the stories you might want to look into.

• G.M. announced it will tap into its credit line.
• Comstock Resources (CRK) Investor Presentation
• Royal Caribbean Takes Out a New $2.2 Billion Loan
• Sinopec Is Offering An All-Time High Dividend Yield Of 13.0%
• Shell still planning to pay its dividend
• Chevron Cuts Spending by $4B