Contents
Keep up with the latest news stories from the United States with our daily blog post. We’ll cover the top stories from around the country, so you can stay informed on what’s happening.
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COVID-19
As of October 2020, the United States has about 8.8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and about 225,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. continues to lead the world in both of these categories.
Cases in the US
As of early May 2020, there have been over 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and over 80,000 deaths. The majority of cases have been in New York City, which has been the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. However, cases have been rising rapidly in other parts of the country as well, particularly in the Midwest and South.
Deaths in the US
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more than 2.3 million confirmed cases of the virus in the United States and over 120,000 deaths.
The Economy
The US economy gained 224,000 jobs in June, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7%, as more people entered the labor force. The report also showed that wages grew at a solid pace in June, with average hourly earnings rising 3.1% from a year ago.
Unemployment rate
The unemployment rate in the United States dropped to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said Friday, as the economy slowly began to reopen after shutting down to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The jobless rate fell from 14.7 percent in April, when the economy shed a stunning 20.5 million jobs. The May figures show that 2.5 million jobs were created last month, a significant improvement from April but still far below what is needed to restore the economy to health.
The figures are the first snapshot of the labor market since many businesses reopened in May after being closed for two months because of stay-at-home orders. The partial reopening has led to a pick up in consumer spending, which account for about 70 percent of economic activity.
But with infections rising in some parts of the country, businesses have been forced to scale back or close again, and economists say the recovery could stall.
Stock market
The stock market is a collection of markets where stocks (pieces of ownership in businesses) are traded between investors. It usually refers to the exchanges where stocks and other securities are bought and sold. The stock market can be used to measure the performance of a whole economy, or particular sectors of it.
The size of the U.S. stock market is about $30 trillion. That’s about double the size of the entire economy of Japan, the world’s third largest economy. The NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) is the largest stock market in the world, with a market capitalization of about $22 trillion as of 2019. It is located in New York City. Nasdaq is the second largest stock market in the world, with a market capitalization of about $9 trillion as of 2019. It is located in New York City as well.
Politics
The United States is a country located in North America. It has a federal republic form of government and is a founding member of the United Nations. The United States has a strong economy and is a major world power.
The presidential election
Every four years, the United States goes through a process to elect its president. The process starts with a primary election in each state. In these primaries, each political party nominates a candidate for president who will go on to represent their party in the presidential election. The two main political parties in the United States are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. During this election, each state gets a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. The candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538) wins the election and becomes president-elect. The president-elect then officially becomes president when they are sworn in during Inauguration Day, which is held on January 20th.
The impeachment trial
The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is set to begin in earnest on Tuesday, with opening arguments from House prosecutors and the president’s defense team.
The trial, which is happening in the Senate, will determine whether Trump is guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. If he is convicted on both charges, he could be removed from office.
The proceedings will begin with a debate over the rules of the trial, which are being proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Democrats have said they will try to force changes to those rules, but it’s not clear if they have the votes to do so.
Once the rules are set, each side will have 24 hours over three days to make their case. After that, there will be four hours of debate on each side followed by a vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump. A two-thirds majority is required for conviction.
The trial is expected to last several weeks, though it’s possible it could go longer if there are procedural delays or witnesses are called to testify.
International News
In today’s top news stories in the USA, we are covering a variety of topics. First, we have a report on the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Next, we have an update on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Finally, we have a story on the new iPhone 11.
The conflict in the Middle East
The conflict in the Middle East is a complex and multi-layered issue. For centuries, the region has been fraught with tension and conflict, with different groups vying for control. The most recent outbreak of violence began in 2011, when protesters took to the streets to demand an end to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Assad responded with a brutal crackdown, leading to a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more.
The conflict has also created a vacuum that has allowed terrorist groups like ISIS to take control of large parts of Iraq and Syria. The US and its allies have been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS targets in both countries, but the situation remains volatile. The conflict in the Middle East is likely to continue for many years to come, with no easy solution in sight.
The Brexit negotiations
The UK’s Brexit negotiations with the European Union (EU) are at a “standstill”, Downing Street sources have told the BBC.
The sources said the EU was not prepared to move on its key sticking points – the future role of the European Court of Justice and the so-called “divorce bill”.
Theresa May is chairing a meeting of her senior ministers on Tuesday to discuss progress in the talks.
The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, but both sides want to reach a deal first on key issues such as citizens’ rights and the UK’s “divorce bill”.
