5 things you should know by July 23: coronavirus, economy, stimulus, China, MLB

Aid may be on the way for the country’s aforementioned economic problems. Republican senators and White House negotiators say they reached an agreement on the general aspects of a new stimulus package, which means that we could soon see the long-awaited full proposal from the party. The plan will feature $ 105 billion for schools and additional billions in coronavirus response funds. Republican lawmakers expect the White House to endorse the latter, which includes $ 25 billion in additional funding for Covid-19 testing and contact tracing, along with approximately $ 26 billion for therapy, development and distribution. of vaccines. If the next round of relief includes another stimulus check, that could be a lifeline for millions of families who missed the first one. An estimated 12 million economically vulnerable Americans did not receive the first stimulus payment.

The tension between the United States and China has reached a new front: the consulates. The United States has demanded that China close its consulate in Houston, an edict that the State Department says is a punishment for the theft of China’s intellectual property and the country’s perceived attacks on the United States. Beijing has promised to retaliate, potentially shutting down one of the numerous United States diplomatic missions within China. The FBI also announced that it believes China is hosting a fugitive scientist accused of visa fraud at its San Francisco consulate. Some experts say it is important for the United States to crack down on industrial and cyber espionage and human rights abuses, but others believe the escalation is part of the Trump administration’s strategy to raise the profile of the president before the November elections.

It’s finally Major League Baseball opening day, and this season will look and feel different in almost every way possible. There will be no fans, no spitting, limited playing, and, in addition to normal injury lists, teams will maintain lists of quarantined or isolated players due to Covid-19. Additionally, the Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for a place to play after the Canadian government rejected their request to use their local stadium due to coronavirus restrictions across the country. You can also expect more activism this season. Multiple players from teams like the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds have already spoken out against racial injustice during preseason games by kneeling down during the national anthem. In Boston, the Red Sox put up a billboard over the Massachusetts Turnpike that says, in Sox-style typeface, “Black Lives Matter.”

Every time we gather the courage to go to bars again, this is our first stop.

Assuming you’re not just sitting catatonically on your couch with your hand in a bag of potato chips (no judgment).

If you thought those robot dogs were haunting, wait until you meet this giant robot bug!

Pack it in Capri Sun bags instead. Problem solved!

That’s the number of high-profile Twitter accounts that hackers accessed their direct messages during last week’s biggest security breach, according to company estimates. While hackers used the rape to promote a bitcoin scam, cybersecurity experts and policy makers now fear that the scam may mask much more troubling movements involving the personal communications of the world’s most powerful people

Kim Kardashian West, who issued a statement on husband Kanye West’s bipolar disorder and urged people to speak about mental illness with compassion. West’s recent behavior in public and on social media has sparked concern among fans.