promoearn: Passover begins as US coronavirus deaths near 13K

Wednesday, April 8

A traditional seder plate with a roasted shankbone of lamb, lettuce, horseradish, apples and nuts, bitter greens and hard-boiled eggs.

Wednesday's Daily Briefing: Passover begins amid pandemic

Passover traditions change amid the coronavirus crisis, "Modern Family" bids farewell and more things to start your Wednesday morning.

Welcome to Wednesday, Daily Briefing readers! Today, Passover will begin at sundown, we say goodbye to 'Modern Family' and NFL star Tom Brady talks with Howard Stern.

BTW have you filled out the census? Take five minutes to do it right here online. Then reward yourself by scrolling through these 50 funny bits to watch when you need a laugh during quarantine.

It's N'dea, and here's what you need to know as you start your day.

Passover traditions change as the coronavirus spreads

Despite stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, Jewish Americans will still observe Passover , one of the most significant holidays of the year. Pesach, as it's called in Hebrew, is observed from sundown Wednesday to April 16. The traditional Passover seder (or ceremonial dinner) includes eating symbolic foods and reciting the biblical story of Exodus, when God freed the enslaved Jews more than 3,000 years ago. The coronavirus pandemic, with its public health mandates against gatherings, has spurred synagogues and families to alter their Passover celebration this year. Some will be using video chat and substituting some of the harder-to-find foods.

•	Passover in quarantine: How to host a (virtual) seder
•	Ben Platt, Idina Menzel, Andy Cohen and Billy Porter are streaming a 'Saturday Night Seder'

Census Bureau to begin sending paper forms to those who haven't responded

If you haven't yet filled out your Census form for the 2020 headcount, the federal government is going to try another way to get in touch with you. Starting Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau is mailing out paper forms to 65.6 million homes whose residents haven't yet answered the once-a-decade questionnaire. Most U.S. residents started getting notices about a month ago that they could respond online or by phone. The bureau's suspension of field operations between mid-March and mid-April due to the coronavirus pandemic may be affecting response rates. Census Day was last week and was the latest effort from community leaders to get people to fill out the population survey.

•	Coronavirus issue: Pandemic causes suspension of field operations, slowdown in search for census workers
•	What is the census and how is it used? What you need to know
•	Getting the count done: How groups are 'pulling out all the stops' to accurately count people of color

Want more coronavirus news? Here's the latest

The U.S. coronavirus death toll neared 13,000 early Wednesday — less than 48 hours after cresting 10,000 — amid contradicting comments from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams about the deadly force of the virus.

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.

•	Coronavirus live updates: Los Angeles to require face masks; jubilant Wuhan, China marks end of lockdown
•	John Prine, the Mark Twain of modern songwriting, dies at age 73
•	An election day unlike any other: Wisconsinites vote in the middle of a pandemic
•	Your coronavirus money questions, answered: Can I postpone my mortgage payments? Will retirees receive a stimulus check?
•	Black people are overwhelmingly dying from coronavirus in cities across the US
•	Coronavirus response delayed despite health officials' private alarm
•	Immigrants beg to be released from immigration detention as coronavirus spreads
•	Florida travelers with coronavirus visited 46 U.S. states, 75 foreign destinations before diagnosis
•	New data on NY coronavirus deaths: Most had these underlying illnesses; 61% were men

It's the end for 'Modern Family'

ABC's "Modern Family" ends its remarkable 11-season run Wednesday night after 250 episodes, big ratings and 22 Emmys, including five in a row for best comedy series. The show, which follows the blended, multigenerational Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan, says goodbye in a one-hour series finale (9 EDT/PDT), preceded by a retrospective (8 EDT/PDT). 'Modern Family' was considered revolutionary in 2009 when it included a gay couple, Mitch and Cam, said co-creator Christopher Lloyd. "I don't think it feels revolutionary today and that's a good thing, a sign of how much we've grown." Ed O'Neill, who plays patriarch Jay, says "Family" arrived at the right moment. "Like every hit show, I always think it has to be the timing, what the country wants to see at a certain time."

•	Closing ceremonies: Cast share emotions of last script reading
•	📷 Photos: The 'Modern Family' cast through the years

When "Modern Family" debuted in 2009, the comedy was lauded for showing a different, more non-traditional version of an extended American family. As it heads into its 11th and final season, here's a look at where they started and where they are now.

Bob D'Amico, ABC

You can save a local business

Now, more than ever, local businesses need your support. Support local by purchasing a gift card at supportlocal.usatoday.com to help your favorite business stay afloat.

What will they talk about? Howard Stern goes one-on-one with Tom Brady

Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is scheduled to make his first-ever appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" Wednesday where many NFL fans hope the future Hall of Fame quarterback will open up about his shocking departure from the New England Patriots. Another topic that is likely to come up is Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of President Donald Trump. There had been buzz "people in high places" were once interested in fixing up the NFL legend with Trump's daughter. According to a 2018 New York Times story, Trump joked that he "could have had Tom Brady" as a son-in-law. "Instead, I got Jared Kushner," he added. Brady signed with the Buccaneers in March after spending the last 20 years with the New England Patriots. The anticipated interview will be widely available, with SiriusXM currently free through May 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

•	More changes in Tampa Bay: Buccaneers unveil new uniforms ahead of Tom Brady's first season with team
•	New Florida home: Tom Brady moving into Derek Jeter's mansion in Tampa, per report
•	NFL 2010s All-Decade Team: Brady, Rodgers headline star-studded group

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

•	🌕 Did you catch the biggest, brightest full moon of the year? See photos here
•	🚗 Auto insurers including Allstate, Geico to give back millions as drivers stay off roads
•	⚓Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly has resigned after calling captain 'stupid.' Here's what we know.
•	⚾ MLB: Staging every game in one location an option, but not endorsing 'any particular format'
•	🐱 Outdoor cats don't go far, but they kill a lot of wildlife, study finds
•	🐼 Two pandas tried to mate for a decade. With the zoo closed due to coronavirus, they finally did it

Can the emergency stimulus check sustain millions of Americans?

Nearly one-third of U.S. adults who anticipate receiving a stimulus check say the money wouldn't be enough to sustain their financial well-being for one month, according to a new report released Wednesday. Roughly 80% say getting a check would be very important (50%) or somewhat important (30%) to their near-term financial situation, according to Bankrate.com's study. The report, which surveyed 1,465 adults, including 994 who anticipate receiving a stimulus check as part of the CARES Act, found that half of those surveyed think they would use the payment to help pay monthly bills such as rent, mortgage or utilities.The emergency stimulus checks could be as much as $1,200 per person, $2,400 for married couples filing taxes jointly and $500 per dependent child.

•	Trump replaces watchdog who was overseeing $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus spending

In better news: Alright, alright, alright

Matthew McConaughey made a special virtual appearance this weekend at a senior living facility's video conference bingo.

The Texas native and University of Texas professor, 50, hosted game for Texas' The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living facility in Red Rock along with his wife, model Camila Alves, mother Kay and children.

"From all of us, we want to continue to turn a red light into a green light!" the residents said in a Facebook video thanking McConaughey, referencing a recent PSA the actor posted on his Twitter account. Watch a clip of the action-packed bingo game here.