Spring has sprung | Though it’s not a bright sunny day as yesterday was, the signs of spring are all around us. “In 2020, the spring equinox (also called the March equinox or vernal equinox) occurs on Thursday, March 19, which is earlier than it’s been in over a century!”

No airline bailout | Airlines and some fast food companies —  McDonald’s — will be looking for bailouts from the federal government. They’re already beginning to shed employees; this article contends their greed is what made this happen to them.

“According to one estimate | “18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours since the new coronavirus began to spread across America. Layoffs are quickening as restaurants, bars, hotels and retailers close down. The U.S. travel industry is expected to lose 4.6 million jobs this year. And Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned yesterday that without an effective rescue package, the unemployment rate could hit 20%.” Corporate welfare is the word of the day in Wonderland. – SOURCE: Marketplace e-letter

How is the question? | “Six expert tips for managing your child’s social distancing during coronavirus” – PublicSource

Ours came yesterday | “The 2020 Census is underway and is ready for America to respond. The first invitations are arriving in the mail at an estimated 140 million households between last Thursday, March 12 and this Friday, March 20. Plan to include everyone you expect to live in your home on April 1. You can respond online in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. More here.

It doesn’t hurt to know a doctor | “The L.A. Times uses its physician owner to help explain the science behind the coronavirus.” – NiemanLab

Thanks to a reader & a 17-year old high schooler | One of the fastest growing and reliable Websites for up-to-date information about the global pandemic is this one: https://ncov2019.live. Thanks to Columbia news, views & reviews reader, Richard Burrell for pointing it out to us and thanks to a 17-year-old high school genius who created the Website. ”

“A teenager’s website tracking coronavirus has become one of the most vital resources for people seeking accurate and updated numbers on the pandemic.”

“17-year-old Avi Schiffmann, a high school junior from Mercer Island outside Seattle, who started the site in late December, when coronavirus had not yet been detected outside of China. Now the site has been visited by tens of millions, from every country on Earth. It tracks deaths, numbers of cases locally and globally, and provides an interactive map, information on the disease, and a Twitter feed. The resource updates every minute or so, and pulls information from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and elsewhere.”Read the story here.

Our question? | How can a high schooler accomplish this feat so robustly, so dynamically and so well and Columbia Borough has been laboring for nearly two years to get a timely, accurate, robust and dependable Website? Surely there are lots of superbright highschoolers here in Columbia who could help the borough out.

BTW | There’s a tab at this Website that has links to the most reliable Websites for information about Coronavirus.