What you need to know today about the virus outbreak

Here are some of AP’s top stories Tuesday on the world’s coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day and APNews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak for stories explaining some of its complexities.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:

— Countries across Europe and beyond — joined in the U.S. by a cascade of states — moved to gradually reopen amid warnings that acting too quickly could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance. That includes Spain soon to allow children out of their homes for brief periods and the planned reopening of the Copenhagen amusement park that inspired Walt Disney.

— Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says agreement has been reached on major elements of a nearly $500 billion coronavirus aid package for small businesses, including additional help for hospitals and virus testing. Schumer said the breakthrough came after post-midnight talks among Democratic and Republican leaders, along with Trump administration officials that included White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

— An Associated Press investigation has found companies with thousands of employees, past penalties from government investigations and risks of financial failure even before the coronavirus walloped the economy were among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund that Congress created to help small businesses through the crisis. The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to infuse small businesses with $349 billion in emergency loans that could help keep workers on the job and bills paid on time. But the AP found that at least 75 companies that received the aid were publicly traded and some had market values well over $100 million.

— Oil’s chaotic collapse deepened, and stocks around the world dropped as markets remain upside down amid concern that global...