It was a hectic day yesterday, given what I do as a day job, and today probably won’t be any easier. But there are plenty worse off than I am…

2 big stories

The more aging amongst us will remember oil shocks, as OPEC squeezed consumers by controlling the flow of oil, and thus the price. Today, the shock is that the price of US crude oil is negative. Yes, they’ll pay you to take it away because it’s cheaper to do that than to build new storage facilities that probably won’t be needed for long whilst consumption is so much lower than usual. The Washington Post explains everything here.

So much for herd immunity? The World Health Organisation is suggesting that early findings are not supportive of the strategy as initially adopted by the Government.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an American infectious diseases expert who is the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, said they had thought the number of people infected would be higher, but she stressed it was still too early to be sure. “Initially, we see a lower proportion of people with antibodies than we were expecting,” she said. “A lower number of people are infected.”

2 social media posts

It never ceases to amaze me how versatile Floella Benjamin is, but here she is in a fantasy sword and sorcery pilot from two decades past…

Made ‘Phantus’ a very low budget Fantasy Sword & Sorcery pilot 20yrs ago. Wish I could have got it commissioned. Great fun making it ❤️ https://t.co/qMwx3S5bGa pic.twitter.com/SFUzznGW8R

— Floella Benjamin (@FloellaBenjamin) April 20, 2020

Elsewhere, Tim Pickstone, who combines being a Councillor in Bury with his perhaps more prominent role as Chief Executive of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC), promotes the Frontline Support Package that the Party is calling for.

Quietly, key workers on the frontline every day undertake acts of bravery both big and small, to save lives. Liberal Democrats are campaigning so they get the protection and support now – and get the recognition and thanks they deserve when the epidemic has passed.