The House of Representatives passes a 3 trillion dollar relief package that President Trump and the Senate opposed. This pandemic relief package aims to send aid to struggling state and local governments. Additionally, another round of $1200 direct payments to taxpayers was managed to be approved by the House. These proposals have near-unanimous Republican opposition.

Retail sales have plunged a record 16.4%. This decrease followed an 8.3% drop in March, producing the largest two-month decline in sales on record.

The federal government has ordered the discontinuation of an innovative coronavirus testing program (promoted by Bill Gates) in the Seattle area.

Relations between the United States and China seem to be suffering through constant warnings being exchanged during the pandemic. On Friday, the Trump administration issued new rules barring Huawei (a Chinese telecommunications giant) from using US technology, and around the same time, China demanded that the United States promptly pay its United Nations assessments (which now exceed $2 billion). These clashes increase broader trade tensions as President Trump makes his contentions with China a core theme of his re-election campaign.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the British Government had exceeded its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day. This goal was set as a response to Britain’s lagging efforts in coronavirus testing. Leaked documents and interviews have showcased that this push to ensure 100,000 coronavirus tests in a day placed a huge strain on public libraries and have exposed other issues that served as an impediment to effective testing.

After clashing with President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil over the refusal to embrace social distancing and quarantines, Brazil’s Health Minister, Nelson Teich, announced on Friday that he would be stepping down from his role - less than a month after taking the job. Last month, President Bolsonaro fired the previous Health Minister, Luiz Henrique Mondetta, for the same issues, and Bolsonaro has been critiqued by many for his handling of the coronavirus situation. Brazil has recorded over 200,000 confirmed cases with around 800 deaths per day (second only to the United States).