USA - Just when you think that 2020 has been filled with enough trouble, even more stuff starts happening. Coming into this week, we were already dealing with a new COVID-19 surge which has pushed the number of daily cases to the highest levels we have seen so far, a global economy which is in the process of imploding all around us, massive civil unrest in US cities from coast to coast, and giant swarms of locusts that are wiping out farms all the way from eastern Africa to parts of India. Unfortunately, now we have several more items to add to our growing list.

USA - The coronavirus surge is real, and it's everywhere. The coronavirus pandemic is getting dramatically worse in almost every corner of the US. The big picture: The US today is getting closer to the worst-case scenario envisioned in the spring — a nationwide crisis, made worse by a vacuum of political leadership, threatening to overwhelm hospitals and spread out of control. Nationwide, cases are up 30% compared to the beginning of this month, and dramatically worsening outbreaks in several states are beginning to strain hospital capacity — the same concern that prompted the nationwide lockdown in the first place. What’s next: Younger people are making up a greater share of all cases, and tend to be less susceptible to serious injury or death, so hopefully this spike in new cases won’t be followed by an equivalent spike in deaths. But it’s too early to say that for sure.

USA - Fear of COVID-19 absolutely crippled the US economy during the first half of this year, and now it appears that there are some people that are pushing for that to happen again during the second half of 2020. Earlier this evening, I came across a headline that boldly declared that there will be “180,000 US deaths of COVID-19 by October”, and right now just about every mainstream news outlet is running stories about how the number of confirmed cases in the US is surging. And it is definitely true that we are seeing an alarming rise in the number of confirmed cases.

USA - The US has broken its own record for the number of coronavirus cases recorded in a single day, with more than 38,000 new patients confirmed in the last 24 hours, topping a high set in April, as some states see infections spike. Some 38,672 new cases were reported on Wednesday, according to data collected by the Covid Tracking Project, breaking a previous record set on April 25 by 2,671 infections. The new milestone comes amid a resurgence of the virus across some regions of the country, particularly in southern states. To date, the US has tallied in excess of 2.3 million coronavirus infections and more than 115,000 deaths, holding its place as the world’s top hotspot for the illness. With outbreaks taking off in South America, however, Brazil has been thrust into second place, with some 1.1 million cases and nearly 54,000 fatalities.

EUROPE - Europe has seen an increase in weekly cases of Covid-19 for the first time in months as restrictions are eased, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. In 11 places, which include Armenia, Sweden, Moldova and North Macedonia, accelerated transmission has led to "very significant resurgence", said Regional Director Dr Hans Henri Kluge. His warnings about the risk of resurgence had become reality, he said. If left unchecked, he warned health systems would be "pushed to the brink". More than 2.6 million cases of Covid-19 and 195,000 deaths have been reported in the WHO's European region, which is expansive, covering 54 countries and seven territories across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Almost 20,000 new cases and more than 700 new deaths are being recorded daily.

USA - President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to a Black Lives Matter leader threatening to “burn down this system” unless the United States “give[s] us what we want,” accusing him of “treason, sedition,” and “insurrection.” In a Wednesday interview with Fox News Channel, Greater New York Black Lives Matter president Hawk Newsome warned that if the country “doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.”

USA - The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday painted a bleak portrait of the global economy, saying the coronavirus pandemic has caused more widespread damage than expected and will be followed by a sluggish recovery. The global economy will shrink this year by 4.9%, worse than the 3% decline predicted in April, the IMF said.

USA - A new report shows the US has stumbled into the new decade, losing a competitive economic edge that it had firmly retained in the post–World War II economic expansion. For the second consecutive year, the US has been dethroned as the world's most competitive economy, thanks partially to President Trump's trade war. The US now ranks 10th (3rd in 2019), according to the Institute for Management Development's (IMD) new report on the ranking of most competitive world economies. "Trade wars have damaged both China and the US economies, reversing their positive growth trajectories. China this year dropped to 20th position from 14th last year," IMD said. The annual rankings, now in their 32nd year, show Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong as the top five most competitive economies.

USA - The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a damning new video highlighting the damage that far-left rioters have inflicted across the country in recent weeks and showing how some Democrats have vocally supported calls from the far-left to defund law enforcement. “Left-wing anarchists are sowing chaos across the country as they attempt to destroy the fundamental foundation of America,” RNC spokesman Steve Guest said. “Meanwhile, Joe Biden and his radical allies continue to dodge scrutiny, viewing this as an opportunity to transform the country. But under President Trump’s leadership, law and order will always prevail.” The video features one of the Black Lives Matter co-founders stating that their ideological frame is Marxism, an ideology that has led to the deaths of 100 million people.

USA - Two openly gay Black candidates are on track to win seats in the US Congress, a first for the nation that illustrates a "generation shift" in US politics, experts and advocates said on Wednesday. Following New York state's Democratic primary contest on Tuesday, attorney Mondaire Jones had 45% of the vote in one suburban race and City Councilman Ritchie Torres was well ahead of rivals for a New York City seat as of late Wednesday. If elected, they would be the first openly gay Black men in Congress, part of a record number of LGBT+ candidates this year, according to the Victory Fund, a political advocacy group which endorsed and funded both of them. More than 850 gay and trans people are on ballots across the country this year, it said. "In (the midterms in) 2018, we talked about the rainbow wave. Now we're going to talk about the rainbow tsunami," said former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, head of the Victory Fund.

USA - The story is that George Floyd died from asphyxiation - “I can’t breathe” - from a police officer’s knee on his neck. This story is not supported by the autopsy and toxicology reports. The autopsy report says Floyd died of a heart attack and that no life-threatening injuries were inflicted by police restraint. The medical examiner found no physical evidence to “support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”

USA - Tests by Consumer Reports find toxic metal in Starkey Spring Water, which was previously recalled for exceeding federal limits, and is sold on Amazon. The results of the testing come as the Guardian and Consumer Reports launch a major project this week on the challenges of getting access to safe, clean, affordable water in the US. That includes how what the bottled water consumers sometimes resort to as an alternative is not only expensive, but may also not always be safer.

USA - It’s a good time to be in the water business: as the coronavirus outbreak spread in the US throughout March, bottled water sales increased 57% over the same period last year. But among the products, like toilet paper or hand sanitizer, that Americans are panic-buying, bottled water is unusual: there is no shortage of safe drinking water, and health officials have tried to assure people that public water supplies are not contaminated by the coronavirus. Hoarding bottled water simply isn’t necessary for most people.

USA - Stephen Roach, a Yale University senior fellow and former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman, tells MarketWatch that his forecast for a sharp deterioration of the US dollar could be a very near-term phenomenon, not an event that looms off in the distance. “I do think it’s something that happens sooner rather than later,” the economist told MarketWatch during a Monday-afternoon interview.

USA - President Trump on Monday said the next stimulus package will be “very generous” and will be announced in “a couple of weeks.” The House has already passed a bill that calls for a stimulus check similar to the one available in the Cares Act — a $1,200 check for adults and as many as three child dependents. That means a family of two adults and three children would qualify for a $6,000 stimulus check. But the price tag is hefty: $3 trillion. The bill is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, where Leader Mitch McConnell is looking for a lower price tag, around $1 trillion. Both sides are expected to renew negotiations soon.