About five minutes into staying indoors, the media cycle is now split between reporting numbers of virus cases and extrapolating economic concerns. After a certain someone suggested yesterday that we end social distancing by early April to pick the economy back up, the internet started to look like this:
As going outside becomes an increasingly unsafe activity for the global population, you might find an extra layer of resonance in Mustafa’s somber anthem about gun violence. The Toronto singer, poet, filmmaker and activist has flipped the script on “Stay Alive,” placing the visual tropes of a hip hop video underneath a melody that warms and nurtures. Through a raspy, unfocused falsetto, he asks, who gets to flourish and to what end?
Say what you want about The Wing; at least they’ve closed for the virus. WeWork, on the other hand, insists on staying open because they provide an “essential” service to the community. While providing that service, they’re refusing refunds to members responsibly working from home, even as the company confirms COVID cases across its locations. WeWork says they have an “obligation” to stay open— but to whom?
Turns out SoftBank may not be bailing out WeWork after all. After regulatory probes into WeWork’s business from the SEC and the Justice Department, SoftBank says they have grounds to go back on their commitment to buy back $3 billion worth of shares. The pullout isn’t official yet, and that buy-back would have come in addition to a $5 billion cash infusion, which is already underway. In any case, now you know why you’re not getting your refund– WeWork is refunding itself.
Now for the greatest metaphor of the week: In the current ghost town of Midtown, Manhattan, the Lord & Taylor building that WeWork had planned to take over will now sell to Amazon, serving as their NYC headquarters. The news comes as Amazon gears up to hire 100,000 more workers to do jobs that nobody wants but lots of people need. At least they’ve got some infrastructure in place: for all hourly workers, they’re promising a $2-per-hour Coronavirus pay bump, plus paid time off and double wages for overtime. (The building cost $1.15 billion.)
