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Health |
| Coronavirus Briefing: Congress to Start Negotiations on Next Round of Aid |
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Good afternoon. Congress returns to work Monday with time running out to craft new agreements on aid to households and protections for businesses, urged on by signs of a faltering economic recovery, a resurgent pandemic and a looming deadline for enhanced unemployment payments. Also in today's edition, a roundup of the mounting scientific evidence that masks really do help. If someone forwarded today's briefing, we invite you to sign up here. |
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| ✔️ Today's Main Takeaways |
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Congress faces urgent questions as it sets out to pass another rescue bill Confirmed U.S. cases top 3.7 million Some companies got both government contracts and PPP loans |
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Democratic and Republican lawmakers must work quickly to reach a deal on coronavirus-relief measures, including jobless benefits, state assistance and liability shields for businesses. (full story) The U.S. added more than 63,000 new infections on Saturday, while the World Health Organization received reports of nearly 260,000 new cases from member countries, the biggest daily increase on record. (full story) Some government contractors took out loans from the Paycheck Protection Program even as they were paid for government work during the pandemic, a Wall Street Journal analysis shows. (full story) |
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U.S. Companies Lose Hope for Quick Rebound: Business executives who were bracing for a monthslong disruption due to the coronavirus are now thinking in terms of years. Their job has changed from riding it out to reinventing roles and strategies. |
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As $600-a-Week Jobless Aid Nears End, Congress Faces a Quandary: With some 25 million Americans set to lose the pandemic-related payments July 31, Congress must decide whether they are a vital boost to the economy, or are keeping people from going back to work. |
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14,321,366 | confirmed cases world-wide, and 602,886 deaths |
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63,698 | new U.S. cases recorded yesterday |
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3,715,166 | total confirmed cases in the U.S. |
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853 | deaths in the U.S. recorded yesterday |
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140,218 | total U.S. deaths |
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44,965,504 | tests conducted in the U.S. |
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Source: Johns Hopkins University as of 12:00 p.m. ET. |
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| ⚕️ Health and Health Care |
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Face Masks Really Do Matter. The Scientific Evidence Is Growing: Face masks are emerging as one of the most powerful weapons to fight the coronavirus, with growing evidence that facial coverings help prevent transmission—even if an infected wearer is in close contact with others. |
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Blood Banks Face a Generation Gap in Giving: The pandemic is driving down blood supplies, which are already under pressure from demographic change as younger donors give less than their elders have. |
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| 🎬 Traveling During the Pandemic Is Possible. But Can You Do It Safely? |
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In many places around the world, holiday travel is permitted again. So how do you travel safely if you want to go on vacation this summer? WSJ’s George Downs takes a weekend trip to find out. |
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Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Todd Olmstead in London. Let us know what you think by replying to this email. |
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