On 21 July, the U.S. government gave China 72 hours to close its consulate in Houston, citing Chinese espionage and influence operations. In a tit-for-tat move, Chinese authorities ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu on 24 July. The closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston – which has long drawn FBI counterintelligence scrutiny – follows a 21 July Department of Justice indictment of two Chinese nationals for state-sanctioned hacking of COVID-19 vaccine research. This diplomatic row is the latest development in a series of geopolitical moves as the Trump administration is increasing pressure on China ahead of the November election.  

California, Texas, and Florida continue to average nearly 10,000 new cases per day over the last seven days. On a per-capita basis, Arizona and Louisiana lead the way, with more than 20,000 cases per 1M residents. 

Several states continue to set records for daily new cases, including California, Texas, and Florida, which are averaging nearly 10,000 new cases per day over the last seven days. Florida recorded more than 15,000 new cases on 13 July, more than New York ever reported during their outbreak in March and April. Multiple states have paused or rolled-back reopening efforts:

Several states continue to set records for daily new cases, including California, Texas, and Florida, which are averaging more than 8,000 new cases per day over the last seven days. Multiple states have paused or rolled-back reopening efforts:

Several states continue to set records for daily new cases, including California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Florida. At least 16 states have paused or rolled-back reopening efforts. California, Florida, and Texas have all ordered bars to close or to halt on-premises alcohol sales. Multiple states have mandated masks be worn in all indoor public areas.

Several states are setting records for daily new cases, including California, Texas, and Florida. These states are also seeing increased hospitalizations, prompting governors to take action. Texas governor Greg Abbott urged residents to stay home after the state recorded 5,000 new infections. California governor Gavin Newsom announced that all residents must wear face masks in public. 

Several states are seeing sustained increases in daily new cases. California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Utah are among those in this category.
 

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, or NBER, the U.S. is now officially in a recession, ending 128 straight months of economic growth. Gross domestic production dropped by 5 percent in the first quarter of 2020, and analysts predict that the drop in the second quarter is likely to be far worse. A tracking tool from the Atlanta Federal Reserve estimated a drop of nearly 54 percent for the quarter.
 

Mass protest gatherings in major cities and small towns alike across the country have raised fears of increased spread of COVID-19. Some of the hardest-hit cities like NY, LA, DC, and Boston saw the largest protest gatherings over the past week. 

New unemployment claims in the U.S. passed the 40 million mark since the pandemic took hold. Approximately 1 in 4 U.S. workers have filed for unemployment since mid-March.