“The New York Times will be free | for high school students (over the next three anxious months)” – Nieman Lab

Almost always free are the beautiful trees and plants as they awaken each spring. Here are some of the gorgeous trees and plants we saw yesterday while walking and reflecting.

What goes up must come down & vice versa | Gas prices are an example – Newsy

Remember | “But remember that wearing a face mask isn’t the only thing you should be doing to protect yourself or others from the virus. While some experts say that homemade masks work to prevent droplets from going into the air, others cautioned that masks could provide a false sense of security. And could lead to fewer people following social distancing guidelines. So one more time for the people at the park: stay home. And if you must leave your house, cover your face and stay six feet away from other people. Oh, and wash your hands.” – The Daily Skimm

Pill pushing | The miracle drug? HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, – The Atlantic

Interviews | ” … with the Tigers from ‘Tiger King.'” – The New Yorker

Consumer confidence dropped 11.9 index points in March | from 101.0 to 89.1, according to the University of Michigan. Confidence is likely to get a lot worse, and could reach levels last seen in the Great Recession.” – MarketWatch

“Early this year, consumer confidence was nearly the highest it’s been in a decade. Then COVID-19 hit.

“When all of these sporting events were cancelled and there was news of different celebrities contracting the virus, consumers turned extremely pessimistic,” said John Leer at Morning Consult.

“Leer says Morning Consult’s survey show confidence is down 24% in the past month. Some of that’s from all the job losses. And Leer says people increasingly fear for their financial security.

“Roughly 50% of U.S. households own stocks, so when the stock market falls, that’s hitting their retirements directly,” Leer said.

“The Fed and Congress plan to inject trillions into the economy, and Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, says that’ll buck up consumers.

“On the flip side: ‘If we see a substantial number of storefronts that are shuttered that’s going to undermine our sentiment.’ Hamrick said.

‘He says keeping employers afloat until they can start hiring again is key to an eventual consumer rebound.”