Axios

North Korean state media claimed on Friday that Kim Jong-un made a public appearance at a fertilizer factory in Suncheon, following two weeks of speculation about the dictator's health and whereabouts.

Where it stands: Kim's appearance has not been independently verified. North Korea state media released photos, shared by South Korean Yonhap news, allegedly of the dictator in Suncheon on Friday. His last public appearance was on April 11.

The Trump administration has blocked Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from testifying on the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Fauci has often given Americans a reality check on the administration's response to the coronavirus and has garnered bipartisan credibility for his straight-forward approach to the crisis.

India's nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be extended until May 18, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Friday.

Why it matters: India is now overseeing one of the longest-running coronavirus lockdowns in the world, beaten only by Italy, which plans to ease restrictions beginning on May 4.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) wants to pay essential workers an up to $12 an hour extra for the next three months as a form of hazard pay for working during the coronavirus pandemic, the senator told The Washington Post Friday.

The big picture: Labor groups have called for hazard pay recently amid concerns that people working during the crisis are putting themselves at risk for the well-being of others. Romney's plan could see some workers make up to $1,920 a month extra, per the Post.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized emergency use of remdesivir to treat the novel coronavirus, but this is not an official regulatory approval of the medication.

Why it matters: The drug helped COVID-19 patients get out of the hospital modestly quicker, based on early reads of a trial run by the National Institutes of Health, Axios' Bob Herman reports. But it does not significantly reduce death, per preliminary NIH data.

Workers joined May Day protests across the globe on Friday, in the midst of nationwide lockdowns aimed at fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Zoom in: In the U.S., employees at Amazon, Instacart, Target, Whole Foods and FedEx — many of whom are acting as "essential workers" and facing heightened risk from the virus — planned walk-outs on Friday to call for more personal protective gear and hazard pay.

Nearly 5,000 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths have occurred in 115 meat and poultry processing facilities across the U.S., data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.

Why it matters: The federal government has ordered meatpacking plants to remain open to keep America's food supply chain intact. But the data reveal worker safety is jeopardized when companies don't drastically change the work culture and provide protective equipment.

The Justice Department is probing the communications of Vladimir Zelenko, a New York doctor who has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment and has been touted by Fox News host Sean Hannity, the Washington Post reports.

How it happened: Jerome Corsi, a Roger Stone associate and former Infowars employee who had been under scrutiny in the Mueller investigation, accidentally emailed federal prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky instead of Zelenko about the drug.

Popeyes reported 26% growth in the first quarter — driven by its hugely popular fried chicken sandwich — despite coronavirus lockdowns across the country, Bloomberg reports.

The big picture: The trend wasn't universal across the fast-food world. Restaurant Brands International, which owns Popeyes, saw its other chains feel pressure as the pandemic took hold. Tim Hortons' sales fell about 10%, while Burger King's dropped nearly 4%.

Go deeper: Chicken consumption is closing in on red meat in the U.S.

Amazon announced Thursday as part of its Q1 2020 earnings that it’s planning to spend the $4 billion it would expect in profit next quarter on worker safety and resources because of the coronavirus pandemic — then its stock dropped 5% in after-hours trading.

Why it matters: If you’ve been wondering for the last six to eight weeks why some publicly traded companies seem to be resisting strong measures to curb the virus spread, this a big reason.

New data from companies and analysts is indicating that smartphone sales are starting to take a hit as we predicted might be the case earlier this week.

Why it matters: Smartphones have been the growth engine of consumer electronics for more than a decade. Sales were already slowing before the coronavirus, but the industry now appears headed for a significant dip.

Investors were hoping to come away from this week's earnings reports with a better sense of how tech companies were faring amid the coronavirus pandemic, but they ended up with some dollops of sobering news on a heap of continuing uncertainty.

The big picture: Tech may be the sector best poised to ride out the economic disruptions caused by the illness, but it won't be immune from the pain, and even some of its revenue gains will be dented by a higher cost of doing business.

ExxonMobil reported Friday a $610 million first-quarter loss, down 126% from the same period last year, reflecting a $2.9 billion write-down linked to lower commodity prices.

Why it matters: Exxon is the largest U.S.-based multinational oil-and-gas company, and the loss underscores how the decline in oil price and demand from the coronavirus pandemic is hitting producers of all sizes.

The Chinese embassy in Germany has posted to its website a 4,600-word rebuttal of 16 common criticisms of China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, depicting Beijing itself as a victim of disinformation.

Why it matters: The rebuttal comes amid a "global battle of narratives" between China and western governments over blame for the pandemic.

While business owners have largely praised the federal government's fast response and the good intent of the CARES Act, it has left much to be desired.

The state of play: It is believed that one of the reasons for the Fed's expanded lending under the Main Street facility is the struggles of the Paycheck Protection Program.

The world's most powerful central banks made clear this week that they expect the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic to be deep and long-lasting and they are arming themselves for war.

Why it matters: We are entering an uncharted era of central banking that will see the Fed and its peers lend money directly to businesses, take unprecedented risks and directly support tremendous portions of the global economy.

Whatever happens over the next few months, one thing seems certain: Soccer's $7 billion global transfer market may collapse amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: This will have huge ramifications on the intertwined soccer world, inflicting serious financial harm on clubs that rely on transfer market returns for survival, while potentially helping the rich get richer ... at a bargain.

The number of deaths in states hit hardest by the coronavirus is well above the normal range, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why it matters: In some of these states, the number of excess deaths this year — or deaths above the typical level — is greater than the number of reported coronavirus deaths, suggesting that the virus may have killed more people than we're aware of.

If it seems odd to stage a town hall with no in-person audience at the Lincoln Memorial, a site for huge rallies and events in more normal times, you're missing the point: President Trump's plan for Sunday night is packed with strategic signaling.

Driving the news: Fox News said this week that the president will sit for a two-hour event on emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, called "America Together: Returning to Work," to be co-hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

We don’t yet know what proportion of people infected with the coronavirus are asymptomatic, but it’s becoming clear that there’s a large number of them.

Why it matters: The more people that have been asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus, the lower its fatality rate. But asymptomatic carriers also present unique problems for stopping the virus’s spread, as they likely don't know they have it.

American Airlines and Delta Airlines announced on Thursday that passengers will be required to wear face masks on their flights starting in early May, joining Jet Blue and Frontier Airlines.

The big picture: Flight attendant unions have been pressuring the federal government to mandate face masks on planes, Politico reports. Employees at American and Delta were already required to wear masks.

Boeing does not expect to seek aid from the federal government to offset losses exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis, after selling $25 billion in bonds in the public market, the company said in a Thursday press release.

Flashback: Boeing sought $60 billion in federal aid for the aircraft industry, including suppliers, in March. The Treasury Department had set aside up to $17 billion for Boeing as part of its $2 trillion CARES rescue package, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.