Axios

Before the pandemic, the co-working revolution, led by WeWork, was well underway. Then suddenly, sharing desks and beer on tap with strangers became unthinkable.

Yes, but: WeWork — and its investors — are betting that co-working still has a bright future. The company is in advanced discussions to go public via a SPAC sponsored by Vivek Ranadivé's Bow Capital Management, per multiple sources.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said his decision to suspend all NBA games on March 11 came without input from the board, the benefit of guidance from major health organizations, or public understanding of the coronavirus.

Why it matters: In an interview Wednesday with Axios Re:Cap, Silver recalled staring down the barrel of an 11th-hour choice — made well before the dire reality of the pandemic had taken root — that would impact the livelihoods of 55,000 people and millions of fans around the world.

Mortgage applications declined for the fourth time in five weeks (and the sixth time in the last eight weeks), data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey found, as mortgage rates continued to follow U.S. Treasury yields higher, dampening demand.

By the numbers: The benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to "the highest since last July and up 40 basis points since the start of 2021," Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, noted in a release.

Marc Stein, the New York Times' star NBA reporter, has partnered with Locker Room to create live audio content, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Locker Room, Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces and other social audio apps have surged in popularity during the pandemic, leading some to believe the future of social networks might be audio.

Roblox, a San Mateo, Calif.-based social gaming platform for tweens and teens, will go public today via a direct listing. Its reference price of $45 per share would value the company just shy of $30 billion, and is the same price at which it raised private funding in January.

Why it matters: This is a major milestone for the creator economy movement, as Roblox last year paid game developers nearly $329 million.

The pandemic was a major test of whether essential workplaces could keep their workers safe — and many of them failed.

Why it matters: The missteps of employers and the lack of oversight from federal agencies may have led to deaths across America.

More signs of inflation are popping up in U.S. data and economic reports, suggesting the rising inflation expectations of both consumers and investors are starting to play out in the economy.

Driving the news: The NFIB's latest small business jobs report showed the percentage of firms raising average selling prices increased to 25% in February, the highest since August 2008.

Goldman Sachs is embarking on a decade-long quest to inject $10 billion into projects that it says will impact one million Black women.

Why it matters: It's the biggest dedicated investment specifically to initiatives that target Black women by a major financial institution.

The COVID-19 crisis drove digital media consumption to new heights, while traditional media stagnated, according to data from eMarketer.

What's happening: Even before the pandemic, but especially after, time American adults spent on smartphones and smart TVs skyrocketed while time spent on devices like radio and linear television continued to decline.

Megxit is Brexit all over again. That's the lesson from the explosive interview that future streaming stars Meghan Markle and her high-born husband gave to Oprah Winfrey on Sunday evening.

Why it matters: In Brexit, a group of old, white English people voted for the glories of an imagined past while rejecting a global, multicultural future. The main lesson of the interview is that the UK royal family, tied to a crumbling tabloid press, is behaving much the same way.

Democrats' coronavirus relief bill will dramatically change many low-income families' lives over the next year. And in the process, it's setting a new precedent for what Washington can and will do in a crisis.

Why it matters: Once President Biden signs the latest relief bill into law, Washington will have spent more than $5 trillion in less than a year — far more than it has spent in past crises.

One year into the pandemic, more than 10 million Americans are still out of work — and many of the jobs they lost won't even exist when this is over.

The big picture: Putting the country back to work will require vast amounts of retraining and career shifting, as former bartenders learn to code and former cruise ship workers look for jobs at data centers. The U.S. is still unprepared to take that on at scale.

This Thursday marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

The big picture: Coronavirus vaccine rollouts are accelerating in the U.S. and elsewhere. The WHO remains concerned about disparities, with rich countries snapping up vaccine doses. The pandemic has had a huge economic impact, with much of the world locking down to prevent the virus' spread. Governments have been providing relief packages and are looking to reopen safely.

The House voted 225-206 Wednesday evening to pass a sweeping labor rights bill aimed at making it easier for workers to unionize and provide them increased collective bargaining rights in workplace disputes.

Driving the news Five Republicans joined Democrats in favor of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

Children nationwide will be able to receive free meals when schools break for the summer after the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended several waivers on Tuesday because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The department said as many as 12 million children are currently living in households where they may not have enough to eat, meaning they may rely on meals from school.

The 10 states that saw tax collections dive the most because of the COVID-19 pandemic saw revenue fall from 5.6% to over 40% from 2019 to 2020, according to a data analysis by the Urban Institute

Why it matters: Given the shortfall, those states are the most likely to benefit from the $350 billion in state and municipal aid included in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package expected to pass the House on Wednesday.

Disney said Tuesday its streaming service Disney+ surpassed 100 million subscribers in just 16 months, a major milestone for the company and the streaming industry.

Why it matters: Disney's streaming success has helped the entertainment giant survive economic headwinds driven by COVID-induced closures of its parks and resorts.

Former President Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his demand that supporters donate to his PAC and not other Republicans, saying that doing so will help the "America First movement."

Why it matters: Trump asked supporters in an email Monday night to donate directly to his PAC — hours after the Republican National Committee rejected his demand to stop using his name and likeness to fund-raise.