The new coronavirus has restricted millions of Chinese people to their homes and towns, and now old bank notes are being quarantined.

The government cut off the transfer and allocation of old bank notes across provinces, and between cities most affected by the deadly outbreak, according to Fan Yifei, People’s Bank of China’s deputy governor. The central bank also ramped up measures to sanitize old money to reduce contagion risks and added 600 billion yuan ($85.9 billion) of new cash for Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus, he said.

“Money from key virus-hit areas will be sanitized with ultraviolet rays or heated and locked up for at least 14 days, before it is distributed again,” Fan said at a press conference on Saturday. Money circulated in less riskier areas is subject to a week of quarantine and commercial lenders have been asked to separate cash from hospitals and food markets, he said.

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $10 million, slated for elimination

The basics: CSB was created by Congress in 1990 “to investigate accidents to determine the conditions and circumstances which led up to the event and to identify the cause or causes so that similar events might be prevented.” Despite being slated for elimination by the Trump Administration, CSB's independent request for $13.1 million would allow it to continue operation with a 12.8 percent increase over FY20.

The impact on chemistry: Though different from the other agencies covered here, CSB plays a key role in the chemical enterprise. By investigating and widely reporting flaws in the process of chemical production (or in the case of universities, laboratory safety), CSB protects the lives of workers and prevents property damage. This year's request, like FY18, FY19, and Fy20, provides funding only to close down the Board. However, the last three years have seen Congress continue to fund CSB despite the Administration's requests for its elimination.

National Science Foundation (NSF)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $7.74 billion, a 6.5 percent cut versus FY20

Department of Energy Office of Science (SC)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $5.8 billion, a 17 percent cut versus FY20

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $0 million, with the agency to be eliminated

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $38.7 billion, a 7.2 percent cut versus FY20

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $6.66 billion, a 27 percent cut versus FY20

National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Proposed FY21 Budget: $737 million, a 29 percent cut versus FY20

STEM Education
NSF requested $930 million for EHR which would represent a 1 percent cut from FY20.
DOE Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists would receive $20.5 million for FY21, a 27 percent cut from FY20.
DoEd overall would receive a 8 percent cut versus FY20, with the following allocations for STEM-related programs:
Like in its FY19 request, the Administration has slated Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants—designed to augment state programs for a number of academic areas, including the sciences—for elimination in FY21.
The Administration requested $2.05 billion for the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which are sources of federal funding to states for postsecondary career and technical education, an increase of 59 percent over FY20.
Proposed for elimination are $2.13 billion from Teacher Training under Title II Supporting Effective Instruction Grants, $190 million from Title IV funding for Education Innovation and Research Programs, and $1.25 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers that support after-school programs. Each of these programs would be consolidated into the Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged (ESED) Block Grant.

.....Also on the list is the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which investigates chemical industry accidents and makes safety recommendations.

If you’re like me, you maybe weren’t sure you’d ever even heard of the CSB when you saw the news that it was on the chopping block. With a $12 million annual budget, it’s a tiny agency. And it’s only been around since 1998. In that time it’s investigated some high-profile accidents, like the 2013 explosion at a West, Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 and leveled a neighborhood.

Born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, Aram began playing at 13 and developed his technique playing in progressive rock and funk bands. He studied composition in college while frequently performing live and recording with various touring acts all over the U.S..

After earning a reputation as a first-class pro bassist he released his debut album of emotionally resonant and technically dazzling original unaccompanied solo pieces. It quickly earned glowing reviews and worldwide attention; leading to co-billings with Buckethead, Joe Bonommassa and other world-class artists as well as numerous endorsements.

Also a highly sought-after bass instructor in Vermont and worldwide, he is the resident bass faculty member at Johnson State College, the founder of the Burlington Music Dojo musical collective in Vermont, and a contributor to the Bass Players United online community. He also still does frequent session work and regularly performs live with drummer Jon Fishman of Phish.

Whales' alimentary tracts also produce ambergris, a fatty lump created to coat and pass squid beaks along with all the other excreta. Only shat out by some whales, and killing others through intestinal blockages, ambergris is an underground and little understood commodity valued as a status symbol and (for its unique and binding scent) component of traditional perfumes, fetching $1,000 to $5,000 or more per pound.