Reopening Plans, Bernie Sanders, Tornadoes: Your Monday Evening Briefing

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Good evening. Here’s the latest.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, pictured above at a March news conference, said on Monday that he believed the worst phase of the outbreak might have passed in New York State, but only “if we continue to be smart.” The death toll in the state, which is at the center of the U.S. outbreak, has exceeded 10,000.

2. But restarting the economy won’t be fast or easy, business owners and economists warned.

The president has predicted that lifting business restrictions will rocket the economy out of a deep recession. And his trade adviser said that a prolonged shutdown could pose a more dire long-term health threat than the virus itself.

Data suggest that economic activity is likely to remain subdued for some time, partially because both workers and consumers, still scared of contracting the coronavirus, will be unlikely to return to airports, restaurants and sporting venues en masse any time soon.

Uncertainty about the virus has slowed economic activity even in places without state or local coronavirus lockdowns.

3. Europe, too, takes cautious steps toward reopening.

A handful of businesses will reopen on Tuesday in Italy, the center of the pandemic in Europe, but the country’s broader lockdown will remain in effect at least until May 3. (Above, a deserted Milan street on Monday.) Spain has also started to relax its restrictions with a small number of workers, including those in construction, heading back to work this week.

France extended its lockdown to May 11, and Britain is also expected to keep restrictions in place. The number of known infections and fatalities is rising faster in Britain than anywhere else in Europe.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the number of severely ill patients was rising and that medical workers faced shortages of protective equipment.

5. Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms killed more than two dozen people in the South.

Homes were destroyed and thousands of people were left without power across at least six states, including Louisiana, above. At least 11 people died in Mississippi alone.

Harsh wind and rain from the storm front also lashed the Northeast, forcing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to close drive-through coronavirus testing sites.

Russian agents have repeatedly planted and spread the idea that viral epidemics — including flu outbreaks, Ebola and now the coronavirus — were created by American scientists. The Russians have also sought to undermine faith in the safety of vaccines.

“It’s all about seeding lack of trust in government institutions,” said Peter Pomerantsev, the author of a 2014 book on Kremlin disinformation.

7. The Supreme Court will for the first time allow lawyers to deliver arguments by phone — and you can listen in.

Other U.S. courts have been hearing oral arguments over video because of the pandemic, but the Supreme Court has yet to take the plunge. Among the cases the justices will hear, three are related to subpoenas seeking President Trump’s financial records.

8. Fifty years ago, an explosion in space almost killed the crew of Apollo 13.

We recount what it was like through the photos and conversations of the astronauts as they struggled through their crisis.

Since then, science and technology have come a long way, so the next trip to the moon, scheduled for 2024, should be safer — but not safe. (The new lunar program, by the way, is called Artemis, after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology.)

9. “Expiration dates are not expiration dates.”

As you work your way to the back of the pantry, you might want to think twice before throwing out that white flour with the 2019 best-by date, writes our food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt.

Same for the fridge: You’ll probably run out of hoarded toilet paper before your eggs go bad. Here’s his guide to how long your foods will last and still taste good.

10. And finally, Dear Diary …

Jotting down your feelings during the pandemic may help you make sense of them. And, who knows, maybe your coronavirus diary will give future generations a valuable window into this period.

We have advice from experts on how to start that journal.

“It’s incredibly useful both for us personally and on a historical level to keep a daily record of what goes on around us during difficult times,” said Ruth Franklin, an award-winning author.

Have a thoughtful evening.

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