Aug 01 Watch 5:23 America's COVID-19 economy struggles as cases climb By PBS NewsHour As the emergency $600-per-week unemployment benefit expired on July 31, officials expressed optimism for another relief package. The bill, being negotiated right now, would be the fifth since the pandemic hit and likely the last before the November elections. Diane… Continue watching
Aug 01 Negotiators report progress in COVID-19 aid talks By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Lawmakers participating in rare weekend talks on a huge coronavirus relief measure reported progress on Saturday, as political pressure mounts to restore a newly expired $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit and send funding to help schools reopen. Continue reading
Jul 31 U.S., China consulate closures deal losses to both nations By Matthew Lee, Associated Press The United States and China have done more than strike symbolic blows in their escalating feud by shutting each other's consulates. They've also dimmed each other's ability to observe critical regions of their countries. Continue reading
Jul 31 Rent and other monthly anxieties deepen as aid falls off By Russ Bynum, Associated Press The coronavirus pandemic is entering a new month, meaning Americans struggling amid the economic fallout once again have to worry about paying their rent. Many who lost jobs months ago are already behind on payments. Continue reading
Jul 31 Eurozone economy suffers record drop during lockdown months By John Leicester, David McHugh, Associated Press The economy of the 19-country eurozone shrank by a devastating 12.1% during the second quarter from the quarter before as coronavirus lockdowns shut businesses and hampered consumer spending. Continue reading
Jul 31 U.S. sinks another $2.1 billion into a potential vaccine By Danica Kirka, Associated Press Pharma giants GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur have announced they will supply 100 million doses of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine to the United States as drugmakers scramble to develop drugs to stem the pandemic. Continue reading
Jul 30 Watch 8:10 How long we can expect the U.S. economic catastrophe to endure The coronavirus pandemic leveled the U.S. economy in the second quarter of the year, leading to the worst collapse since the Great Depression. Gross domestic product fell by more than 9 percent between April and June. While some parts of… Continue watching
Jul 30 Watch 7:58 How a crumbling antibiotics infrastructure could yield 'catastrophe' By Paul Solman The antibiotics industry has suffered an alarming collapse that has become even more troubling as secondary bacterial infections threaten patients with COVID-19. Why has production of these vital medicines stagnated, and what can be done to address the problem? Economics… Continue watching
Jul 30 Record economic plunge, bleak jobs numbers reveal virus toll By Martin Crutsinger, Paul Wiseman, Associated Press The coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy plunging by a record-shattering 32.9% annual rate last quarter. It is still inflicting damage across the country, squeezing already struggling businesses and forcing a wave of layoffs that shows no sign of abating. Continue reading
Jul 30 Analysis: Cities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic face bankruptcy By Mark Davidson, Kevin Ward, The Conversation With sales tax revenues plummeting because of the pandemic, many cities will face bankruptcy – and that could affect everything from retirees' pensions to whether roads get fixed. Continue reading