Fear and anxiety spike in COVID-19 hot spots across US

About half of U.S. states have seen their highest daily coronavirus infection numbers so far at some point in October, and the country as a whole came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.

Layoffs remain elevated as 898,000 seek unemployment aid

The government will issue its latest snapshot Thursday of the level of layoffs in the United States, which remain elevated seven months after the viral pandemic erupted and after the expiration of federal unemployment aid for millions of Americans.