VOL. 44 | NO. 32 | Friday, August 7, 2020
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. average rates on long-term mortgages fell this week, pushing the key 30-year loan to a record low for the eighth time this year.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The Tennessee Titans have talked all year about how continuity – especially on offense where 10 of last year’s starting 11 return – is a key to finding success in an offseason curbed by the pandemic.
No sooner had the Tennessee Titans opened their doors on training camp than the first distraction of 2020 reared its head.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Linebacker Vic Beasley reported to the Tennessee Titans on Friday, and he has been activated off the Reserve/Did Not Report list.
NEWSMAKERS
Junaid Odubeko, a partner in Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Nashville office, has been accepted to the American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s Diverse Leaders Academy.
BRIEFS
Bridgestone Americas Inc. has donated 10,000 face coverings to Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Small luxury SUVs have traditionally offered an appealing mix of practicality, refinement and upscale features. Now they’re also offering something else: High performance.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
A fancy desk is not for you. You have zero interest in sitting all day in a cubicle, talking on the phone or pounding on a keyboard. Nope, there’s no fussy suit in your work wardrobe, either, no stiff dress shoes, and that’s just fine.
PERSONAL FINANCE
People who care about their credit scores tend to obsess about some things they probably shouldn’t, such as the possibility they might have too much credit.
CAREER CORNER
Internships are an important part of any college education. They allow students to test their skills and dip their toes into their future careers. They can help to confirm interest in one field or redirect interest to a new field.
MILLENNIAL MONEY
Moving is stressful enough without throwing a pandemic into the mix. Many Americans might be forced to consider moving as federal foreclosure and eviction moratoriums expire. In the first week of July, 32% of Americans did not make a full, on-time housing payment, a national survey by Apartment List reports. Others might relocate to save money, be closer to loved ones or leave a densely populated area.
NASHVILLE SC
There was a smattering of boos when players from FC Dallas and Nashville SC collectively took a knee during the national anthem before their MLS game on Wednesday night in Frisco, Texas.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — David Accam scored in the 86th minute to give Nashville SC a 1-0 victory over FC Dallas on Wednesday night in the first match for both teams since Major League Soccer shut down the season in March because of the coronavirus.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville International Airport has introduced expedited lanes that use biometric technology to replace traditional identification documents before air travel.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday defended Tennessee's response to the coronavirus pandemic after receiving criticism from a top Democratic congressional leader, arguing that his decisions have been "data driven" despite not adhering entirely to White House recommendations.
MEMPHIS (AP) — A Tennessee state senator has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing more than $600,000 in federal funds received by a health care school she directed and using the money to pay for personal items and expenses.
MEDIA
NEW YORK (AP) — AMC Theatres, the nation's largest movie theater chain, will reopen in the U.S. on Aug. 20 with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday allowed the Education Department to move forward with new rules governing how schools and universities respond to complaints of sexual assault.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World and the union for its actors and singers reached an agreement on Wednesday that will allow them to return to work, more than a month after they said they were locked out of the reopening of the theme park resort for publicly demanding coronavirus tests.
ELECTION 2020
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Beginning Thursday, U.S. Facebook users who post about voting may start seeing an addendum to their messages -- labels directing readers to authoritative information about the upcoming presidential election.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the viral pandemic intensified five months ago, yet still remains at a high level. The pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans counting on emergency coronavirus aid from Washington may have to wait until fall.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's leading business group on Wednesday raised serious concerns about President Donald Trump's move to defer Social Security payroll taxes for American workers, warning that the plan for a shot of economic relief during the coronavirus pandemic could prove unworkable.
For the first time, Airbnb is taking legal action against a guest for violating its ban on unauthorized parties.
BEIJING (AP) — China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday it has extended punitive tariffs on Indian optical fiber products for five years.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even before last week's intelligence assessment on foreign election interference, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was facing criticism from Democrats that his investigation of presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukraine was politically motivated and advancing Russian interests.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's new book about President Donald Trump is titled "Rage" and will be released Sept. 15, less than two months before Election Day, according to a listing on Amazon.com.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn't getting wet enough.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon are the newest inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
NASHVILLE SC
Having watched the MLS is Back tournament from afar because of coronavirus cases, FC Dallas and Nashville SC are grateful for the chance to play again when they meet Wednesday for the resumption of Major League Soccer's regular season.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Facebook plans to build an $800 million data center in Tennessee that is expected to employ about 100 people, state economic development officials announced Wednesday.
Amazon Logistics is opening new delivery stations in Lebanon and La Vergne to increase delivery speed for customers in Wilson and Rutherford counties.
COURTS
DOVER, Del. (AP) — The official committee representing sexual abuse survivors in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy is asking a judge to void real estate transfers by a local Boy Scouts council in Tennessee, saying they violated court restrictions on sales or transfers of BSA assets.
MEMPHIS (AP) — The daughter of a Tennessee corrections administrator who authorities say was killed during a prison escape has sued the facility and its warden for negligence in her death.
TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft is back to selling smartphones for the first time since it abandoned its mobile business more than four years ago.
AUTO INDUSTRY
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Tesla will split its stock for the first time in its history so more investors can afford to buy a stake in the electric car pioneer following a meteoric rise in its market value.
MEDIA
Tribune Publishing Company, which owns some of the most storied newspapers in American journalism, said Wednesday that it is closing the newsrooms at five of them, including New York's Daily News and The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.
ELECTION 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — An overzealous prosecutor trying to hide her crime-fighting past — who is also weak on crime. The most radical pick for vice president ever — but too moderate to energize progressive Democrats.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gretchen Whitmer wanted out. The Michigan governor had caught the interest of Joe Biden and his vice presidential vetting committee, who were drawn to her prominence in a crucial battleground state and her aggressive response to the coronavirus outbreak there.
MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — The little girl ran up to her, wide-eyed and giddy.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — No, Russia isn't having a Sputnik moment. The announcement Tuesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country was the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine did not provoke the awe and wonder of the Soviet Union's launch of the first satellite into orbit in 1957. Instead, it was met by doubts about the science and safety.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House's top negotiator tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday over coronavirus aid, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the "overture," saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway.
Stocks marched broadly higher on Wall Street Wednesday, briefly nudging the S&P 500 above its all-time closing high set in February, before the coronavirus pandemic led to a historic market plunge.
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The U.S. budget deficit climbed to $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the budget year, exceeding any on record, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Lyft on Wednesday posted a loss of $437.1 million for the second quarter, when the coronavirus outbreak meant few people were looking to use its ride-hailing service.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top official at the Federal Reserve criticized the decision by many states to reopen businesses this spring before getting the virus fully under control, and said those choices have hindered an economic recovery in the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mark Meadows dropped to a knee in then-Speaker John Boehner's office, the still-new congressman apologizing for joining those trying to oust the Republican leader.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — National discount department store chain Stein Mart filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday after 112 years in business, and announced that it will close most, if not all, of its 280 stores.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices jumped 0.6% in July as gasoline prices continued to rise.
BEIJING (AP) — Antagonisms between China and the United States didn't stop Beijing's burger lovers from standing in line for hours for a bite of Shake Shack's snacks.
LONDON (AP) — Britain has suffered the deepest recession among the world's top economies this year, shrinking by a fifth in the second quarter alone when much of the economy was mothballed as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
TENNESSEE TITANS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have placed linebacker Vic Beasley on the non-football injury list days after he finally reported for training camp.
NASHVILLE SC
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville has agreed to an extension with defender Walker Zimmerman keeping the member of the U.S. men's national team under contract through 2023.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers launched a special session Monday to work on legislation that would provide health care providers, schools and businesses broad protections against coronavirus lawsuits.
REGION
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — A federal utility's board plans to review its CEO pay amid ongoing criticism from President Donald Trump, the board's chairman said Monday.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A court decision the NCAA says will hurt college sports by allowing certain student-athletes to be paid "vast sums" of money as "educational expenses" will go into effect after the Supreme Court declined Tuesday to intervene at this point.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court in Washington appeared inclined Tuesday to let a judge decide on his own whether to grant the Justice Department's request to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court has overturned an antitrust ruling against Qualcomm, dismissing arguments that it unlawfully squeezed out cellphone chip rivals and charged excessive royalties to manufacturers such as Apple.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A judge on Monday ordered ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft to treat their California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors, a shift that would guarantee benefits like overtime, sick leave and expense reimbursement for workers who make up much of the freewheeling gig economy.
ELECTION 2020
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major party's presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressional candidate in Connecticut has abruptly ended his campaign on the day of his primary election following his arrest on a domestic assault charge.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of religious leaders inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s last organizing effort said Tuesday new data suggest low-income voters in key states could swing some U.S. Senate races.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Since 1937, the state of Pennsylvania has had strict rules about who can stand in polling stations and challenge the eligibility of voters. The restrictions are meant to limit the use of "poll monitors" long sent by both parties to look out for voting mishaps but at times used to intimidate voters.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
The Big Ten and Pac-12 called off their fall football seasons on Tuesday because of concerns about COVID-19, taking two of college football's five power conferences out of a crumbling season.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Vanderbilt University analysis of daily COVID-19 hospitalization data in Tennessee shows a stark difference between counties with mask mandates and counties that do not require face coverings.
It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double.
President Donald Trump on Monday joined a U.S. senator and a number of coaches calling to save the college football season from a pandemic-forced shutdown as supporters pushed the premise that the players are safer because of their sport.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
A late slide in big technology companies left indexes broadly lower on Wall Street, erasing an early gain and breaking a seven-day winning streak for the S&P 500.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hopes that talks on a huge COVID-19 relief deal would generate an agreement soon are fizzling, with both the Trump administration negotiating team and top congressional Democrats adopting hard lines and testy attitudes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices shot up an unexpected 0.6% in July, biggest gain since October 2018, with energy prices moving sharply higher.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — People in China are back to buying German luxury cars. Europe's assembly lines are accelerating. Now the global economy is waiting for the United States to get its coronavirus outbreak under control and boost the recovery, but there's little sign of that.
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. has kept a lid on unemployment so far during the coronavirus pandemic but, scratch beneath the surface, there are worrying trends that will likely see the jobless total soaring by the end of the year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not about to blink.
State and local government officials across the U.S. have been on edge for months about how to keep basic services running while covering rising costs related to the coronavirus outbreak as tax revenue plummeted.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department's internal watchdog has found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not act improperly last year when he approved billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without the consent of Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's move to defer Social Security payroll taxes could be taking him into treacherous political territory.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has a ready solution for almost any crisis: more Donald Trump.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are heading back to the Capitol on Monday to address legislation that would provide health care providers, schools and businesses broad protections against coronavirus lawsuits.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Allegations by General Motors that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles bribed union officials are "preposterous" and read like a script from a "third-rate spy movie," FCA lawyers wrote in court documents filed Monday.
TRANSPORTATION
DALLAS (AP) — With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon plans to free up a big chunk of its military airwaves in the U.S. for high-speed internet service, part of a broader push to get ahead of China in the deployment of 5G wireless technology.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
Racked with anxiety, Lauren Shell needed to talk to her cancer doctor.
It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald O'Connor teaches. As a new school year approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic, she and her colleagues are threatening not to return unless it's repaired.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stock indexes closed mostly higher Monday, nudging the S&P 500 within striking distance of its all-time high set in February.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers advertised more jobs in June compared with the previous month, but overall hiring fell, painting a mixed picture of the job market.
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's new executive orders to help Americans struggling under the economic recession are far less sweeping than any pandemic relief bill Congress would pass.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump's plan to bypass Congress, will sign on.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump isn't telling the full story when it comes to executive orders on coronavirus relief payments and health care.
ELECTION 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — Searching for a symbolic substitute for his virus-scuttled plans for an arena celebration, President Donald Trump said Monday that his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination will be held at either the White House or the Gettysburg battlefield.
NEW YORK (AP) — For all the secrecy and speculation that typically surrounds the search for a vice presidential candidate, the decision rarely sways an election. But ahead of Joe Biden's imminent announcement, this year could be different.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Monday that he has subpoenaed the FBI to produce documents to his committee related to the Trump-Russia investigation.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
ELECTION 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is using a variety of measures to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ahead of the November election and that individuals linked to the Kremlin are boosting President Donald Trump's reelection bid, the country's counterintelligence chief said Friday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of US intelligence on Friday raised concerns about interference in the 2020 election by China, Russia and Iran.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in November will feature a matchup between a Republican candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump and a Black activist who pulled off an astonishing upset victory over the Democratic establishment's choice — with a campaign war chest of less than $10,000.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The heated race to become the Republican nominee for an open U.S. Senate seat topped Tennessee's primary election Thursday, as well as contested challenges in a handful of U.S. House and legislative seats. Here is a summary of those offices on the ballot:
NASHVILLE (AP) — First-time political candidate Diana Harshbarger emerged victorious Thursday among a crowded field of Republican contenders vying to secure a rare opening for a U.S. House seat in northeastern Tennessee.
HEALTH CARE
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The maker of the drug Humira will pay $24 million to settle a California lawsuit that alleged it violated an insurance fraud law, the state Department of Insurance announced Thursday.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — We've seen this movie before, an electric vehicle from a mainstream automaker that will take away sales from market leader Tesla.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
In a comfy suburb just outside Nashville, a young family swabs their noses twice a month in a DIY study seeking answers to some of the most vexing questions about the coronavirus.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street's big rally let off the accelerator on Friday, despite a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, amid worries about worsening U.S.-China tensions and whether Washington can deliver more aid for the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer borrowing rose in June after three months of declines but the key category of credit card debt extended its decline.
NEW YORK (AP) — Small businesses are in limbo again as the coronavirus outbreak rages and the government's $659 billion relief program draws to a close.
NEW YORK (AP) — President Trump is broadly prohibiting unspecified 'transactions' with Chinese owners of TikTok and WeChat via executive order in 45 days.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong officials, including the pro-China leader of the government, accusing them of cooperating with Beijing's effort to undermine autonomy and crack down on freedom in the former British colony.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States added 1.8 million jobs in July, a pullback from the gains of May and June and evidence that the resurgent coronavirus has weakened hiring and the economic rebound.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A resurgence in COVID-19 cases didn't shut off the American job creation machine last month — but it did slow it down.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A last-ditch effort by Democrats to revive collapsing Capitol Hill talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money ended in disappointment on Friday, making it increasingly likely that Washington gridlock will mean more hardship for millions of people who are losing enhanced jobless benefits and further damage for an economy pummeled by the still-raging coronavirus.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is reinstating a 10% import tax on Canadian aluminum, raising tensions with an American ally just weeks after his trade pact with Canada and Mexico took effect.
BEIJING (AP) — China's exports rose by an unexpectedly strong 7.2% in July as the world's second-largest economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department has fined Capital One $80 million for careless network security practices that enabled a hack that accessed the personal information of 106 million of the bank's credit card holders.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court in Washington on Friday revived House Democrats' lawsuit to force former White House counsel Don McGahn to appear before a congressional committee, but left other legal issues unresolved with time growing short in the current Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says it lost $2.2 billion in the three months that ended in June as the beleaguered agency — hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic — piles up financial losses that officials warn could top $20 billion over two years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lifetime before he served two presidents as national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft was just 12 when he decided to become a West Point cadet after reading about cadet life. After he graduated with the Class of 1947, he decided to join the Army Air Corps and train to be a fighter pilot. He achieved that goal, too, but then fate shot down his plans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers from both parties are calling on the U.S. Postal Service to immediately reverse operational changes that are causing delays in deliveries across the country just as big volume increases are expected for mail-in election voting.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
REGION
NASHVILLE (AP) — Just days after President Donald Trump criticized the Tennessee Valley Authority for hiring foreign workers, the federally owned energy corporation announced Wednesday it was rescinding a decision to lay off its in-house technology workers.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — People who refuse to wear masks in downtown Nashville can now end up behind bars. A man was charged with violating health regulations after Tennessee authorities said they twice spotted him defying the capital city's mask order on the same day that police committed to stricter enforcement.
ELECTION 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add an additional general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Election Day in pandemic times has arrived in Tennessee, where voters on Thursday will decide a heated Republican U.S. Senate primary and other federal and state contests.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Two tests by AAA during the past two years show that partially automated driving systems don't always function properly, so the auto club is recommending that car companies limit their use.
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota's profit plunged 74% in the last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic sank vehicle sales to about half of what the top Japanese automaker sold the previous year.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is still trying to overturn "Obamacare," but his predecessor's health care law keeps gaining ground in places where it was once unwelcome.
COURTS
New York's attorney general sued the National Rifle Association on Thursday, seeking to put the powerful gun advocacy organization out of business over allegations that high-ranking executives diverted millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday rescinded its warnings to Americans against all international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying conditions no longer warrant a blanket worldwide alert.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci says even if the coronavirus is around for decades, public health safeguards and an eventual vaccine will allow the world to successfully adapt.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, an early advocate among Republicans of wearing masks and other pandemic precautions, tested positive Thursday for the coronavirus just ahead of a planned meeting with President Donald Trump.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks perked higher on Wall Street Thursday after a report showed the pace of layoffs across the country is slowing, though it remains incredibly high.
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber lost $1.78 billion in the second quarter as the pandemic carved a gaping hole in its ride-hailing business, with millions of people staying home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Early in 2020, Apple appeared to be caught in a horrible bind.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and the Senate's top Republican huddled Thursday over a huge COVID-19 rescue package, but hopes on Capitol Hill for a deal are souring and there's increasing worry that bipartisan congressional negotiations might collapse.
HAVANA (AP) — With its airports closed to commercial flights and its economy tanking, Cuba has launched the first in a series of long-promised reforms meant to bolster the country's struggling private sector.
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England predicted Thursday that the economic downturn in the U.K. economy might be less severe than it thought at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - even as it warned it would take a longer time to heal the scars.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's top envoy for Iran is stepping down just as the United States tries to moves ahead with a major diplomatic effort that would extend a U.N. arms embargo against Tehran in the face of widespread international opposition.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator said Thursday he is launching an investigation into changes at the U.S. Postal Service that are causing delays in mail deliveries across the country just as big volume increases are expected for mail-in election voting.