Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan 
Maduro Confirms “Respectful” Call With Trump, Signals Openness to Diplomatic Dialogue 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Israel Receives Body of Deceased Hostage as Rafah Crossing Reopening Hinges on Final Returns 
Taiwan Signals Openness to Renew Ties with Honduras as Election Unfolds 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
UN Chief Says Gaza Operation “Fundamentally Wrong” as Concerns Over War Crimes Grow 
Trump Claims He Will Void Biden Documents Signed with Autopen 
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
New Orleans Immigration Crackdown Sparks Fear as Federal Arrests Intensify 
Michael Dell Pledges $6.25 Billion to Boost Children’s Investment Accounts Under Trump Initiative 
President Donald Trump has been criticized by some health experts fearing that he might be pushing to reopen the country for business too soon. But the economic cost of various lockdown is now being felt by the Trump administration as tens of millions of Americans have joined the ranks of the unemployed and the list keeps getting longer with each passing day.
The Department of Labor reported on Thursday that another 3.2 million Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, according to CNN. The figure is already adjusted after factoring seasonal hiring fluctuations.
Since mid-March, when the national lockdown started, total initial jobless claims soared to 33.5 million. This means that 1 in 5 of Americans has filed for first-time unemployment benefits, the effect of coronavirus-related restrictions in place to slow down the virus’ spread.
This could mean that more Americans could be losing their jobs if things continue as they are. According to CNN, there are signs that “what first looked like temporary job cuts could turn into permanent layoffs. With virtually no revenues coming in, big companies such as United Airlines, Airbnb, and GE announced job cuts this week affecting thousands of workers.
Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that the severity of the coronavirus pandemic was worse the previously anticipated. “We went through the worst attack we've ever had on our country," he said, CNN reported.
“This is really the worst attack we've ever had,” Donald Trump added. “This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center.”
During his three years as the President, the economy has been one area that Trump generally enjoyed support. However, the U.S. economy shattered by the pandemic during his term might be perceived negatively by voters and potentially affect his reelection plans.
The President promised on Wednesday that he could rebuild the economy fast. “I built the greatest economy -- with a lot of great people -- that we've ever had, and I'm going to rebuild it again,” Trump said. “We're going to have a great economy very soon. Much sooner than people think. Much sooner.”
