The global death toll from the coronavirus stands at 2,010. While the vast majority of fatalities have been in China, infections in Japan are on the rise and health officials remain unsure how far the pathogen will spread. Meanwhile, the economic impact of the epidemic is growing, with many Chinese companies no longer paying staff. Elsewhere, businesses are taking advantage of the slowdown: U.S. airlines have redeployed some of their largest aircraft from suspended China routes, bringing them in for heavy maintenance and even a fresh coat of paint. —Josh Petri

Here are today’s top stories

Julian Assange’s lawyers dropped a bombshell on a London court, saying they have evidence President Donald Trump was prepared to offer the wanted WikiLeaks founder a pardon if he stated Russia wasn’t behind the leaks of Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Democratic hopefuls will debate this evening in Nevada ahead of the state’s caucus. The showdown will be the first time Michael Bloomberg takes the stage. In a new national poll, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont holds a commanding lead over the field.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr told associates he might resign over comments by Trump seen as damaging to the Justice Department’s historical reputation for independence. Barr is under intense criticism for cutting by half the sentence recommendation for convicted Trump ally Roger Stone, who faces a judge Thursday.

The IRS said it’s increasing efforts to reach high-income individuals who have failed to file tax returns in recent years, even by making house calls.

An economist’s guide to spending Jeff Bezos’s $10 billion climate war chest: Focus on politics and technological experimentation.

Solar sales have so far been a small part of Tesla’s overall business. As the company begins rolling out its Solar Roof, Elon Musk says the business could one day rival the company’s automotive segment.

What’s Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director says that, even with the Brexit decision done and dusted, it may be worth keeping an eye on the U.K. anyway. As Pankaj Mishra wrote in Bloomberg Opinion Wednesday, the recent upheaval in the finance ministry there may represent the start of a turn toward Modern Monetary Theory. While it may not represent a full embrace of the theory, which employs a more active fiscal policy aimed at full employment, the U.K. may be the first test of a major Western developed economy pushing the fiscal gas pedal.

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

Sponsored Content by Wise Bread

$200 sign-up bonus when you spend just $1,000 within 90 days. That's an insane 20% back. 3% cash back in online shopping, drug stores, travel, dining, home improvement and furniture, or gas purchases. PLUS up to 5.25% cash back for Preferred Rewards clients. NO annual fees. 0% APR until 2021.

What you’ll want to read in Bloomberg Green

Massive Locust Swarms Are Ravaging Africa

Swarms of desert locusts the size of cities are destroying crops and pastures in East Africa. The United Nations has warned of an unprecedented threat to food security in a part of the world where millions already face hunger. And the situation will probably get worse before it gets better. Experts say the calamity—the worst in recent memory—is caused by an increased number of cyclones driven by climate change.

Like Bloomberg’s Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com. You’ll get our unmatched global news coverage and two premium daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close, and much, much more. See our limited-time introductory offer.

Wake up with the biggest stories in global politics and the 2020 campaign: Balance of Power, which arrives in your inbox every morning, breaks down the latest political news, analysis, charts and dispatches from Bloomberg reporters all over the world. Sign up here.

Download the Bloomberg app: It’s available for iOS and Android.

Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. Learn more.