promoearn: The real price of meat

Wednesday, April 22

In mid-March, many stores across the nation were sold out of chicken and meat. Supplies are starting to increase but many stores are still limiting shoppers to one or two packs.

COVID-19 may force the choice of worker health or food. Two cats tested positive for coronavirus in New York. It's Wednesday's news.

Coronavirus outbreaks could threaten the nation's meat supply, and the next wave of COVID-19 could be even worse than the one we're in now.

On a brighter note: It's Earth Day. I'm planning to celebrate by drinking a big glass of wine. Because grapes. And the ground that helps grapes grow. Thank you, Earth. 🍷

It's Ashley, and I swear I have not started my Earth Day celebration yet. Let's talk news.

But first, raise your hand if you miss your hair stylist 🙋‍♀️: Google searches for "buzz cut" are trending, so here's a hot tip: You can give yourself a buzz cut at home.

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Meat in stores or worker health?

Coronavirus outbreaks at meatpacking plants across the nation are more widespread than previously thought, an exclusive USA TODAY investigation found. And they could increase. As of Wednesday, coronavirus infections had spread in at least 53 U.S. meatpacking plants across 22 states, sickening more than 2,700 people and killing 17. Experts say there's little risk of a mass meat shortage because, given the choice between worker safety and keeping meat on grocery shelves, the nation's slaughterhouses will choose to produce food.

The next round of COVID-19 could be 'more difficult'

The director of the CDC warned Tuesday that a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the fall could do more damage than the current one hitting the USA because it would come at the opening of the flu season.

It all started in California

The first known U.S. coronavirus death occurred earlier than previously reported – and in California, not Washington state. A medical examiner in Santa Clara said autopsies on the bodies of two people who died Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 showed they were positive for the virus.

Give it to me straight

The COVID-19 crisis has killed more than 182,000 people globally and is far from over. More than 2.6 million confirmed cases have been reported, including more than 842,000 in the USA.

Tyson Foods installed plastic barriers between worker stations at its meat and poultry plants to protect against transmission of the coronavirus.

Tyson Foods

What everyone's talking about

•	Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the coronavirus.
•	Fact Check: Trump claims coronavirus tests are widely available. They are not.
•	Lululemon apologized after its art director advertised a "Bat Fried Rice" shirt.
•	Here's why Bruce Willis is quarantined with his ex Demi Moore ... and not his wife.
•	Lindsey Vonn's quarantine routine is epic.
•	Not so magical: When will Disney World and Disneyland reopen? One analyst predicts it may not be until 2021.

Polar bear lovers, skip this one

The Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in the summer within the next 30 years, a study says, which will result in "devastating consequences for the Arctic ecosystem," according to McGill University. Sea ice is frozen ocean water that partially melts each summer, then refreezes each winter. Because of global warming, the study says, the summer ice will melt entirely by 2050. That's not good for Arctic wildlife that depends on the ice to survive, such as polar bears and walruses. Even if we act to reduce carbon emissions dramatically, the study says, summer sea ice might still be gone.

•	'Polar bears may disappear': Arctic sea ice keeps shrinking. Here's what that means for the planet.

Polar bears walk on Arctic sea ice. Sea ice cover is a hunting ground and habitat for polar bears and seals, and keeps the Arctic cool by reflecting sunlight.

Dick Notz

Ex-UCLA soccer coach pleads guilty to bribes

A former men's soccer coach at the University of California-Los Angeles, agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to racketeering charges in the nation's college admissions scandal for accepting $200,000 in bribes to facilitate the admission of two students as fake soccer recruits. Jorge Salcedo, head soccer coach at UCLA from 2004 to 2019, will be the 33rd parent to plead guilty in court and forgo trial in the sprawling "Varsity Blues" admissions scheme. We still don't know the fate of actress Lori Loughlin, who is scheduled to go to trial in October.

Real quick

•	I barely even knew it was April. But here's a reminder that the next month is on the horizon. Here's everything new ("Hollywood," "Dead to Me" Season 2) coming to Netflix in May. (P.S. Lots of people are hopping on the Netflix train.)
•	P.S.S. If you travel between states, here's where you'll have to self-quarantine.
•	MLB says that the Red Sox did not break rules during their postseason run to a World Series title and that a video monitor was the lone violator.
•	Amazon and Target workers plan more "sickouts."
•	A thief smashed museum doors with a sledgehammer to steal a Vincent van Gogh painting.
•	Eminem is officially 12 years sober. 👏
•	Val Kilmer begged to be in the "Top Gun" sequel.

While we're watching COVID, are countries watching us?

As coronavirus stalks the globe, demanding attention from politicians and citizens alike, could U.S. rivals be testing us ? In mid-April, Iranian speedboats swarmed U.S. warships, North Korea fired a barrage of missiles and a Russian jet buzzed a U.S. surveillance plane. National security analysts say the timing of these incidents may not be coincidental, but are America's global opponents trying to capitalize on a pandemic? President Donald Trump sent out a warning to Iran Wednesday on Twitter: "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea."

A rocket launches at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 21, 2020.

A break from the news

•	Things you don't need to do in quarantine: No interest in baking artisan bread? That's OK. Aren't up for learning a new language? Totally fine. Relaxation can do wonders, too.
•	You're going to need some tissues for this: Ken slept with a picture of his late wife every night until a care worker surprised him with a touching gift.
•	Dog care pro tip: This woman slapped plastic wrap and peanut butter on her head to cut her dog's nails. You really have to see it.