Second line: Tonight at 7 p.m, Louisiana residents are encouraged to pay tribute to all essential workers in the state as part of the 19 Thanks campaign. Tune in to a virtual second line band put together by Red Six Media that will perform “When the Saints go Marching in,” in honor of the wide array of workers and industries that are essential to the continuity of the state. Join the Facebook Live broadcast tonight at this link, and get more information about the initiative here.
One winner: Walmart became a lifeline to millions of people as the coronavirus spread and its surging profit and sales during the fiscal first quarter topped almost all expectations. Online sales in the U.S. jumped 74%, fueled by a rush on canned foods, paper towels and other crucial supplies needed as people sheltered in place. Same-store sales rose 10% at U.S. Walmart stores on strong sales of food, health and wellness goods. Read the full story.
Steep drop: U.S. homebuilding plunged in April to the lowest level in five years, taken down by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that ground breakings plummeted 30.2% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 891,000. That is the lowest level since February 2015. Construction of single-family homes dropped 25.4% to an annual rate of 650,000. No region was spared. Housing starts dropped 43.6% in the Northeast, 14.9% in the Midwest, 26% in the South and 43.4% in the West. Read the full report.
