Bars, department stores and theaters across Japan closed for 17 days Sunday, after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and three other prefectures in an attempt to curb surging COVID-19 cases.
Why it matters: In less than three months, Tokyo is due to host the summer Olympics — which have already been delayed by a year due to the pandemic. This is the third state of emergency declared in Japan since the pandemic began.
Elon Musk will host "Saturday Night Live" on May 8, with Miley Cyrus as musical guest, the comedy show announced.
Of note: "SNL" rarely has business people as hosts — though the SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO is no stranger to entertainment. He's starred in "'The Simpsons" and "The Big Bang Theory," briefly in "Iron Man 2" and often been on Joe Rogan's podcast. Tesla's shares fell in 2018 after Musk was seen smoking marijuana in one Rogan video, the Wall Street Journal notes.
Mat Sherman had several dozen paying subscribers for his online community and newsletter about early-stage startups when he decided to trade that recurring revenue for a cash advance of $4,000 via Pipe, he tells Axios.
Why it matters: As the content creation business matures, a spectrum of financing models are becoming available to these entrepreneurs, who are no longer forced to entirely bootstrap their work.
As the pandemic hopefully enters a more subdued stage in the U.S., the door is opening to a future with hybrid work, schooling and more that is here to stay.
Why it matters: A hybrid life promisesthe best of both worlds: the connections and experiences of in-person with the flexibility and freedom of remote. But a truly hybrid world is one we haven't experienced before, and adjusting to it won't be easy.
