Although the number of employment claims at the end of July was over 1 million for the 20th straight week, it was also the lowest number of new claims since the US was struck by COVID-19 in March, the Washington Examiner reports. The end of July saw 1.2 million claims when economists had forecast there would be 1.42 million.
More than a third of Americans say they would not get a COVID-19 vaccine right now, even if were free and FDA-approved, according to a new Gallup poll.
A new study has found that infection with common cold viruses can teach the human immune system to recognize the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19, Live Science reports.
The Netherlands is among several European nations stepping up measures to halt a new rise in coronavirus infections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured a coronavirus ward at a Jerusalem hospital on Thursday, vowing to do his utmost to ensure Israelis will get access to a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, as soon as possible. Netanyahu said the target date to begin widespread vaccination drives is early 2021.
The only Arabic Christian broadcaster in Lebanon said Wednesday that it continued broadcasting despite suffering minor damages to its studios in Beirut, where a massive blast killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000 others.
Social media giant Facebook confirmed Wednesday that it removed President Donald Trump’s post of a Fox News television interview in which he claimed that children are “almost immune” from COVID-19.
France faced two battles Wednesday with firefighters struggling to contain wildfires and authorities warning of a new wave of coronavirus infections.
A new Gallup poll has shown American parents are divided along party lines when it comes to their views on the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on their children and on whether schools should reopen, the Washington Times reports. Among its findings, the poll showed that 85% of parents who identify as Democrats and 29% who identify as Republicans are concerned their child might contract COVID-19.
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in June as exports rebounded following several months of decreases, suggesting an improvement in global demand after being depressed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, has developed a virtual rendition of its MAST (Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation) methodology.
The Trump administration is awarding over $35 million in Justice Department grants to provide safe housing for survivors of human trafficking, AP News reports. An announcement is being made Tuesday at a White House event attended by survivors of human trafficking, organizations that support them, Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, and special adviser.
Reports emerged this week that Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda have murdered a pastor and a church member for preaching the Gospel to Muslims, the Christian Post reported Saturday. Pastor Peter Kyakulaga and parishioner Tuule Mumbya of Church of Christ were beaten and drowned in a lake in Lugonyola village in the Gadumire Sub-County of Kaliro District on June 22. Church leaders have reportedly asked the local Christian community not to retaliate, but to be in prayer instead, the Christian Post said.
The European Union’s statistics agency has reported the most significant economic falls within the 27-nation bloc since it began recording the figures 25 years ago.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield acknowledged Friday that the number of COVID-19 deaths could be inflated where someone who had the virus actually died from something else, but it was recorded as a COVID death.
At a congressional hearing Wednesday, lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties questioned the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, to understand whether these dominant companies have become “corporate bullies” that systemically buy out or destroy competitors, CBS News reports. The hearing is especially pertinent as the COVID-19 economic disaster has crushed small and larger businesses worldwide while these tech giants have grown richer by the billions of dollars. The CEO of each company gave evidence virtually to the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust.
Despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 lockdown measures, thousands of Christians have been gathering in both indoor and outdoor services across the state, Fox News reports.
Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have dropped by 13 percent in 2020 compared to the year before, likely due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations, but the 789 events reported between January and June still represent the third-highest number on record for that period, according to a study by a British watchdog group.
U.S. Gross Domestic Product dropped an estimated 32.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020, according to a report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis released Thursday, a result of stay-at-home orders that shuttered businesses in response to COVID-19.
Some unemployed workers received nearly twice as much money through unemployment insurance (UI) payments authorized through the CARES Act than they earned when they were employed, a new study from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) found.