Another 1.48 million unemployment claims filed last week
At least 1,480,000 Americans applied for unemployment the week ending June 20, according to data released this morning by the U.S. Department of Labor. Though down 60,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 1.54 million, today’s number is higher than expectations — a concerning sign that could be a statistical blip or an indication of something worse in the making. This is the 14th straight week that more than one million people have applied for unemployment, well above the record set before the pandemic. The news comes as more states are delaying planned business re-openings as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in nearly half of all states. If delays continue and other state economies shut down again, job losses could accelerate.
Georgia grand jury indicts three white men in death of Ahmaud Arbery
As protests around the nation continue demanding justice for George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and Breonna Taylor, a Georgia grand jury Wednesday indicted the three white suspects in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery. Cobb County District Attorney Joyette M. Holmes said that Gregory and Travis McMichael, along with William Bryan, have been indicted for felony murder and aggravated assault. In all, they face nine charges each, including four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, malice murder, false imprisonment and criminal contempt to commit a felony. Holmes said it didn’t take long for the grand jury to arrive at their decision. Arbery was shot and killed days before his 26th birthday on February 23. He was out for his daily jog before being pursued by the three suspects in their vehicles. Leaked video footage showed them shooting Arbery at point blank range. Gregory McMichael asserts that Arbery matched the description of a man seen burglarizing houses and gave chase with his son, Travis. They grabbed a shotgun and .357 Magnum pistol before leaping into their pickup and giving pursuit. Bryan filmed the pursuit and Arbery’s shooting death. The McMichaels were arrested on May 7 after the video was leaked, more than two months after Arbery was killed. Bryan was arrested May 21. Critics have called Arbery’s death a modern-day lynching.
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 9,453,673
Global deaths: 483,207. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 121,979.
Number of countries/regions: at least 188
Total patients recovered globally: 4,764,577
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 2,381,369 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 121,979. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 31,257.
U.S. total patients recovered: 656,161
U.S. total people tested: 28,567,355
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 389,666 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 19.5 million. That is the most reported cases than in any other single region in the world.
COVID-19 headlines
US reports second-highest single-day COVID-19 increase; CDC ups number of expected deaths
More than 34,000 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the U.S. Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That number is just under the country’s record high of more than 36,000 new cases, identified on April 24. The national total now stands at 2,381,369 diagnosed cases with at least 121,979 deaths. Nearly half of all 50 states have seen a rise in infections over the past two weeks, with some, such as Texas and Florida, reporting daily records. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday revised its forecast of total COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. to between 130,000 and 150,000 by July 19. One week ago, the CDC was forecasting between 129,000 and 145,000 total deaths by July 11. The CDC says the new forecasts “suggest that the number of new deaths over the next four weeks in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah will likely exceed the number reported over the last four weeks.”
COVID-19 outbreaks linked to lack of social distancing
As COVID-19 infections continue to increase dramatically in the U.S., new info about specific outbreaks shows how lack of social distancing can be the cause. A new study by Ball State and Vanderbilt Universities used de-identified smartphone data to track the movement of more than seven million U.S. college students, to investigate the impact of spring break travel back in March on the spread of COVID-19. Researchers say potentially infected spring break travelers led to an uptick in coronavirus cases in communities surrounding the campuses to which the students returned. In Minnesota, the Duluth News Tribune reports a COVID-19 cluster developed in the south of the state among some 100 young adults who tested positive for the illness, and who said they’d visited several bars on June 12 and 13, according to state health officials. And in Texas, WFAA Dallas reports 18 members of a single family contracted COVID-19 after some members attended a surprise birthday party May 30, where one attendee was unaware he was infected with the coronavirus. He interacted with seven family members at the party who subsequently spread it to ten others who weren’t in attendance.