Good morning from the Financial Times.

Today is Thursday, March 26th,

and this is your FT news briefing.

Late on Wednesday night, the Senate kept Americans waiting for an agreement on the terms

of a $2 dollar stimulus package.

The F.T.'s US managing editor, Peter Spiegel, explains why there was such a holdup.

And just a month ago, China was at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, but now the economy is showing signs of life.

James King will tell us how China could become a rare example of growth, while much of the rest of the world deals with a crisis.

Plus we'll look at why Ford has become a fallen angel in the credit markets

and how the US is ramping up pressure on Riyadh to end its oil price war.

I'm Mark Filipino, and here's the news you need to start your day.

Early on Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that's it.

Democrats and his Republican Party had reached a stimulus deal.

The marathon negotiations between him, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,

and U.S. Treasury Secretary Stephen Manutian had reached the end.

But over the course of the day, it became clear that the deal still needed some hammering

out.

The F.T.'s Peter Sp explains what's been agreed on and what's on the line.

Everyone's focused on this concept of helicopter money. I mean literally they are going to give money to every American basically focus on those

sort of middle class and lower $75,000 in income and lower, $1,200 a piece.

So that's just sort of give you some money, spend it, try to stimulate the economy through that way.

So that's gotten a lot of the headlines up late.

...