A brief history of the census—and how Covid-19 could change it

PLUS: T-Mobile swallows Sprint, quarantine comics to catch up on, and Covid's impact on animals. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [[WIRED Daily Newsletter]04.02.20]( [A man speaks to reporters]( [TELECOM]( [T-Mobile Swallows Sprint, Leaving 3 US Cellphone Giants]( BY KLINT FINLEY [Consumer advocates fear the deal will reduce competition and lead to higher prices. But regulators and a federal judge let it proceed.]( [PLOT TWIST]( [China Flexes Its Soft Power With ‘Covid Diplomacy’]( BY WILL KNIGHT [Initially criticized for covering up and failing to control the virus, China is rebranding its response as a symbol of leadership and strength.]( [The Ultimates comic]( [COMICS]( [5 Comics to Catch Up on While Self-Quarantined]( BY GRAEME MCMILLAN [Are you being a good citizen and staying at home? Good. Here are some comics to pass the time.]( [women using a Hollerith machine ]( [BACKCHANNEL]( [A  Brief History of the Census—and How Covid-19 Could Change It]( BY ANDREW WHITBY [Census-taking used to spur innovation. Now, the pace of technology, and the challenge of going door-to-door, could force it to adopt existing systems instead.]( [Subscribe to WIRED]( [GET WIRED](  [Get unlimited access to our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.](  [Subscribe to support our journalism.](  [Exclusive offer: 1 year for $10.]( [Homeless people make shelters on the sidewalk]( [SHELTER IN PLACE]( [For Homeless People, Covid-19 Is Horror on Top of Horror]( BY EMMA GREY ELLIS [As the coronavirus spreads, unhoused people are among the most vulnerable to infection.]( [The Doug, Climate issue, forest]( [THE CLIMATE ISSUE]( [Why Old-Growth Trees Are Crucial to Fighting Climate Change]( BY BROOKE JARVIS [Nature is already socking away a lot of carbon for us. It could soak up a lot more—if we help.]( [two rhinoceros touching horns]( [CONSERVATION]( [The Coronavirus Lockdown Is a Threat for Many Animals, Not a Blessing]( BY MATT SIMON [You may have seen recent videos of goats roaming an empty town. But for more vulnerable species, like rhinos, this shutdown poses a great danger.]( [PCR tubes on black background]( [PUBLIC HEALTH]( [How a Crispr Lab Became a Pop-Up Covid Testing Center]( BY MEGAN MOLTENI [As the government fumbled Covid-19 testing, researchers at UC Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute stepped up—with their own time and funding.]( [VR headset ]( [BRAVE NEW WORLD]( [HTC’s Elite VR Headset Is a Step in the Wrong Direction]( BY JESS GREY [I had hoped the high-end headset would provide an escape from the real world. It didn’t.]( [WIRED]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir)