Wednesday, Feb 19, 2020 | View in browser

Good morning.

We’re covering the messy evacuation of a coronavirus-ridden cruise ship, the economic slowdown caused by the virus and why the Trump administration is declaring major Chinese media as state operatives.

By Melina Delkic

Buses believed to be carrying the passengers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama on Tuesday. Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Virus-infected cruise ship evacuations continue

Japan said that about 500 people would be released from the Diamond Princess, a quarantined cruise ship that has become a hot spot for the coronavirus outbreak, but confusion was widespread about how that would unfold.

Other governments, including those of Australia and Britain, are also working to retrieve their citizens.

The ship has been stuck off Yokohama since Feb. 4, with 542 cases now confirmed. In many of those cases, people initially tested negative, only to test positive days later. Here are the latest updates and maps of where the virus has spread.

By the numbers: At least 1,868 people have died, Chinese authorities said, all but five in mainland China. More than 73,100 people have been sickened in Asia, according to officials.

Death rate: An analysis of figures by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the death rate in China is 2.3 percent, which is higher than that of the flu. But, as a mathematics professor points out in our Opinion section, it’s too early for the numbers we really need to be available.

Perspective: Li Yuan, our New New World columnist, writes, “The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the jarring absence in China of a vibrant civil society — the civic associations like business groups, nonprofit organizations, charities and churches that bring people together without involving the government.”

A man in a face mask at HSBC's Hong Kong headquarters last month. Anthony Wallace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Virus extends an economic slowdown

HSBC, one of Hong Kong’s most important banks, said it would cut 35,000 jobs over the next three years, in part because of disruptions caused by the outbreak. It also lowered expectations for growth across Asia, where it gets half of its revenue, this year.

The London-based bank is working to cut $4.5 billion in costs as it faces headwinds that include the outbreak and months of political strife in Hong Kong, one of its most important markets. Its shares in Hong Kong trading slumped by more than 3 percent.

It was the latest company to show the impact of the fast-moving coronavirus that has gripped China. Although many companies are getting back to work after a weekslong hiatus, the economy has been slow to get back on its feet.

Markets: U.S. stocks declined on Tuesday, a day after Apple said it was cutting its sales expectations for this quarter because of the coronavirus. Concerns about the outbreak’s impact weighed on the outlook for the global economy.

U.S. designates China’s official media as state operatives

To curb what U.S. officials describe as extensive Chinese influence and intelligence operations, the U.S. State Department informed China that its five foremost news agencies will be treated as foreign government operatives, according to a senior State Department official.

The five — Xinhua, CGTN, China Radio, China Daily and The People’s Daily — will be subject to the same rules as foreign diplomats, though exactly how problematic that will be is not yet clear. Some see the possibility that China could retaliate against American journalists in China.

The move comes amid other U.S. moves against China — and as Europe appears to be dismissing American efforts to prevent the Chinese telecom giant Huawei from building the next generation of wireless networks.

Confusing strategy: The U.S. has turned toward trying to choke off Huawei’s access to U.S. technology and seeking to cobble together an American-European alternative to compete with it. But in what appeared to be a striking reversal, President Trump publicly objected on Tuesday to his administration’s efforts to restrict the sales of U.S. technology to China.

If you have 5 minutes, this is worth it

Too much of a cute thing?

Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times

Adorable characters like Hello Kitty are used to sell everything in Japan, and fading towns have long used mascots to lure visitors and investment. Above, Sanomaru, a dog with a ramen bowl on its head, represents the city of Sano.

But as their tax bases dwindle along with their populations, communities are increasingly questioning whether the whimsy is worth the expense.

Here’s what else is happening

Trump pardons: The president granted clemency to 11 controversial figures, including Michael Milken, the investment banker known in the 1980s as the “junk bond king,” and has raised the possibility of commuting the sentence of his friend and adviser Roger Stone.

Ukraine battle: Russian-backed separatists tried to break through the trench line in the stalemated war in the country’s east, killing one separatist soldier and wounding four others in what was seen as an effort to gain leverage during settlement talks. The Kremlin denied involvement.

World War II internments: Nearly 80 years after about 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into camps in the Western U.S. and Arkansas, California is expected to formally apologize for its role in their detention.

Andrew Testa for The New York Times

Snapshot: Above, Richard Quinn’s fall 2020 show at London Fashion Week, set in an apocalypse. Our chief fashion critic writes: “If, indeed, the four horsemen are coming, at least this way we can greet them with aplomb.”

What we’re reading: This undercover investigation from Correctiv, a German nonprofit news organization, into the activities in Germany of the Heartland Institute, a U.S. organization that promotes the denial of climate science. Our climate reporter John Schwartz calls it “fascinating.”

Now, a break from the news

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.

Cook: Bittersweet brownie shortbread layers two treats in one.

Watch: Zoë Kravitz has her first lead role, in the Hulu series “High Fidelity.” She spoke to The Times about her acting and her life.

Read: In “Minor Feelings,” a book of essays, the poet Cathy Park Hong writes about Asian identity without the flattening forces of other people’s expectations.

Smarter Living: Experts say the best way to form healthy habits is to tie them into existing patterns. Here’s more advice. (You can get the same tips delivered each day on Alexa smart speakers.)

And now for the Back Story on …

Covering the courts

Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial went to a New York City jury on Tuesday. Court reporting for such big cases is a cornerstone of Times journalism. We asked the reporter covering the Weinstein trial and other court veterans to tell us the tricks of their trade.

Jan Ransom had a lot of early starts. Now, she’s waiting for a verdict in the Weinstein case, but during the trial, the line to enter the courtroom in Manhattan Criminal Court stretched down the block by 6 a.m. Once the day’s proceedings began, around 9:30 a.m., she listened closely all day, every day, watching the movie producer’s facial expressions, noting the testimony of the witnesses and recording the reactions of the jury.

In many federal courthouses, cellphones, laptops and recording devices are not permitted, which means reporters must often take notes by hand, then call their editors or other reporters to verbally relay the news.

Harvey Weinstein and his legal team arriving at court in Manhattan on Tuesday. Caitlin Ochs/Reuters

“You’re back to being a reporter from the 1950s,” said John Schwartz, a Times reporter who previously worked as the legal correspondent for the National desk. “You phone it in and compose it in your head and provide that first bit of information just as quick as you can.”

Unlike courtroom dramas on TV, there are often hours of proceedings that can include long exchanges between lawyers and the judge. Skilled reporters are able to discern the new and important developments.

“It’s 99 percent tedium, but you have to be listening and then suddenly someone will say something,” said Ben Weiser, who has covered the Manhattan federal courts for The Times for many years, “and that will be your lead.”

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Melina

Thank you
To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Katie Van Syckle wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about Michael Bloomberg’s history of political and charitable contributions.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Sound made with two fingers (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• The Times’s correspondent Rukmini Callimachi spoke to Elle magazine about how she considers her clothing and self-presentation when covering Islamic extremism.