January 3 – United States
Foreign relations: tensions between the U.S. and Iran
The United States government assassinates Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and the most powerful military figure in Iran, in a targeted drone strike in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad. The Trump Administration says that Soleimani was planning imminent attacks on Americans and had to be stopped. However, President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Gen. Soleimani months earlier under a condition that Iran’s increased aggression resulted in the death of an American. On December 27, a U.S. contractor was killed in a rocket attack on an Air Base in Iraq. The U.S. blamed the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia for the attack.[1] The killing of Soleimani escalates even more tensions between the two countries, with Iran vowing to retaliate.
Who was Qassem Soleimani? (Video, 3:08 min)
(Jan 6): In response to the killing of General Soleimani in Baghdad, the Iraqi parliament votes to expel U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. Some even call for other measures, such as closing the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. There are 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to help the Iraqis fight ISIS terrorists. But Iraq says that the U.S. had been breaching Iraqi sovereignty. The vote is not legally binding. President Trump threatens Iraq with sanctions.[2]
(Jan 8): In retaliation for Soleimani’s killing, Iran launches more than a dozen ballistic missiles on Iraqi air bases that host US forces. As a result, 64 U.S. soldiers suffer traumatic brain injuries.[3] Two of the missiles mistakenly shot down Ukraine International Airlines passenger plane travelling from Iran to Ukraine, killing all 176 people on board. Most passengers on the plane were from Iran and Canada.[4]
January 11 – United States
Global health – Coronavirus, or Covid19
China reports its first death caused by a new coronavirus after dozens of cases of pneumonia outbreak takes place in the country’s central province of Hubei.
(Jan 21): The United States announces its first coronavirus case in Washington State.
(Jan 23): China places the city of Wuhan under quarantine with all public transportation cancelled.[5]
(Jan 30): The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the new coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. While nearly 99 percent of the more than 9,000 confirmed cases are in China, 98 people have been diagnosed in 18 other countries, including the United States.[6]
(Jan 31): The United States closes temporarily borders with China banning an entry for foreign nationals who travelled to China within the last 14 days.[7]
January 21 – United States
Immigration
After camping on the border between Mexico and Guatemala for days (across from Mexico’s Ciudad Hidalgo) and kept from crossing the bridge to Mexico, hundreds of migrants storm Mexico’s border through the Suchiate River. Most of these migrants are from Honduras fleeing violence, poverty, and high murder rates with the goal of reaching the United States. The border security troops fire gas to prevent the migrants from entering Mexico and roundup those who manage to cross the border. Some will be deported while some will be allowed to stay and work in Mexico; however, after a deal reached with the U.S. they will not be allowed to use migration routes to the United States.[8]
Background: Under a deal between the United States and Mexico on migration reached in June 2019, Mexico agreed to deploy the National Guard throughout the country with additional troops along the southern border with Guatemala, and to clamp down on people smuggling rings. Both sides also agreed that the United States will be sending asylum seekers back to Mexico while they await reviews of their claims, but in return, the U.S. promised to speed up the decision process.[9]
I sent my seven-year-old across the border alone’ – video (03:10 min)
US border in seven charts
February 3 – United States
Politics: primary elections
The United States begins its Democratic Party primary elections, also called primaries, the process of choosing by voters their party’s candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for November 2020. Iowa is the first state to hold the primaries. Although it awards only 49 delegates towards the national convention (out of the total of 3979 delegates nationwide), the Iowa caucuses are considered an important indicator of a candidate’s likely success.[10] Unlike a traditional primary in most states, in which voters cast ballots on individual basis, Iowa’s primaries are caucuses, local party gatherings that decide who to support. Their selected delegates then go on to county, district, and state conventions. These ultimately determine the delegates that go to the national convention where they indirectly cast their vote for a presidential candidate in the name of their state.[11]
An illustrated guide to the Iowa caucus
February 5 – United States
Impeachment acquittal
After a two-week trial, the Republican-controlled Senate acquits President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment that was approved by the House of Representatives in December. Trump is acquitted on Article I (abuse of power) by 52 Senators against 48 and acquitted on Article II (obstruction of Congress) by 53 Senators against 47 who supported a guilty verdict. The Senate needed 67 votes to convict President Trump on either article. The Republican Senators voted against including witnesses in the trial. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah is the only Republican Senator to break party lines and votes to convict the president on abuse of power.[12]
The Impeachment from beginning to end (video 4:46 min)
Sen. Mitt Romney’s full statement on Trump’s impeachment trial
Full transcript of Sen. Mitt Romney’s speech during impeachment trial
February 7 – United States
Global health – Coronavirus, or Covid-19
Dr. Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who issued the first warning about the deadly new coronavirus outbreak contracts the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital and dies. He had sent out a warning to other doctors on December 30, but the Chinese authorities ordered him to stop “making false comments”.[13]
(Feb 26): The novel coronavirus, now named Covid-19, has been spreading quickly from China to other parts of the world raising fears of global pandemic. China is still the country affected the most, with 77,000 infections and 2,600 deaths. It has built several new hospitals and quarantine centers for infected patients. But the virus has now spread to 30 other countries infecting 1,200 people and killing 20. The worst affected countries right now are South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy, where authorities resort to drastic measures to contain and limit the speed of spread of the virus. Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined in South Korea after 11 service members were infected. In Italy, where confirmed cases surged from three to more than 200 in just three days, the government put several small towns on lock-down with their residents not allowed to leave without special permission. It also cancelled many activities, sporting events, and festivals even outside the zone.[14] The United States has 14 confirmed cases so far, some of them unexplained, which raises concerns about the virus spreading within communities.[15] Stock markets fall sharply amid fears of economic impact of the virus. Also, Brazil confirms its first coronavirus case, becoming the first country in Latin America with the outbreak.
(Feb 28): Within just a few days, Iran reports 388 new cases of the illness and 34 deaths, which makes it the country with the highest number of deaths outside China.[16]
More about coronavirus from CDC: source and spread, risk assessment, illness severity Coronavirus and Economic Impact (video: 11:04)
February 29 – United States
Peace agreement with Afghanistan
The United States signs a conditional peace agreement with Afghanistan’s Taliban to put an end to the conflict that has lasted 18 years and has cost tens of thousands of lives. Despite almost two decades of efforts to oust the Taliban, the group is back and in control of almost half of Afghanistan. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging war with the Afghan government and other militant groups to dominate the country.
The main provisions of the deal: (1) the full withdrawal of American and coalition troops from Afghanistan within 14 months. Currently, there are about 13,000 U.S. troops there, who advise Afghan forces and carry out counterterrorism operations against Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) militant group; (2) the Taliban guarantees that Afghan territory will not harbor terrorists who aim to attack the U.S. or its allies; (3) the Taliban and the Afghan government will work to reduce violence. The UN has counted more than 100,000 civilians killed since it began documenting in 2009. In 2019 alone, almost 7,000 civilians were killed; (4) the U.S. pledges to work with both sides to secure the release of up to 5,000 prisoners held by the Afghan government and 1,000 prisoners held by the Taliban.
The agreement has been criticized as legitimizing the Taliban, which sends the wrong message to other terrorist groups. Also, because the Taliban does not control all of the Afghan territory, a complete withdrawal of the U.S. troops might strengthen other terrorist groups.[17]
Afghanistan: who controls what
March 11 – United States
Global health – Coronavirus, Covid-19
Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Trump Administration announces a new restriction on foreign travelers from most of Europe, except for Ireland and the United Kingdom, for the next 30 days. Soon, these two countries also join the list. Refugee admissions are suspended.
– Following guidelines of social distancing issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most public events, such as sport events, festivals, and conferences across the U.S. are canceled or postponed. Distancing is encouraged to slow the rate of transmission of the disease and to flatten the curve of new infection.
– Most states issue a stay-at-home directive, ordering residents to remain in their homes and for nonessential businesses and schools to temporarily close.
(Mar 13): President Trump declares a U.S. national emergency, which will open up to $50 billion in federal funding to fight Covid-19.
(Mar 16): U.S. researchers say a vaccine would not be widely available for at least 12 to 18 months.
(Mar 18): Trading halts on Wall Street for the fourth time in two weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a loss of just over 1,300 points and the S&P fell by 5 percent. Two days later the Wall Street marks its worst weekly performance since the 2008 financial crisis.
– President Trump signs a coronavirus aid bill into law. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides free coronavirus testing and ensures paid emergency leave for those infected or caring for a family member with the illness, while also providing additional Medicaid funding, food assistance and unemployment benefits.
– Hospitals across the U.S. report that they are running out of the masks, gowns and other equipment they need to protect staff against the novel coronavirus as they struggle to take care of patients.[18]
(Mar 27): President Trump signs a $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill after the legislation was passed in a bipartisan vote in the House and the Senate. The law includes loans for paychecks for workers in small businesses, provides financial aid to hospitals, and a direct payment of $1,200 to most American adults.
(Mar 28): With 102,000 cases in all 50 states and death toll surpassing 2,000, the U.S. now leads the world in Covid-19 casualties.
(Mar 31): New York City, now the epicenter of this crisis in the U.S., reports 41,771 confirmed cases and 1,000 deaths from Covid-19.
– Wall Street ends one of the worst quarters in stock market history, an indication of the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.[19]
History of Past Pandemics
How the Virus Got Out (graphic presentation)
How South Korea Flattened the Curve
April 2 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. top 5,000, as confirmed cases nationwide rise to 232,837. In response, many governors place their entire states under stay-at-home orders for non-essential workers. The hardest hit state is New York, where deaths surpass 2,000, with confirmed cases of 92,381.
– A record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits the previous week, a sign of the pandemic’s mounting toll on the U.S economy.
(Apr 3): Even though President Trump announces the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation to wear cloth face masks in public to prevent the spread of the virus, he himself disavows it.[20]
(Apr 6): While many states are delaying their primaries and allowing voting by mail, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns the governor’s executive order to suspend all in-person voting, siding with the Republican-controlled legislature that had appealed his order. Later, more than 50 people who took part in this election will test positive for Covid-19.
(Apr 11): The U.S. surpasses Italy in the number of coronavirus deaths (18,860) becoming the worst hit country in the world.
(Apr 12): With restaurants, hotels and schools closed due to the pandemic, farmers are facing a significant drop in demand for their produce. Only some surplus of food goes to food banks due to their insufficient storage capacities for fresh food. The situation forces farmers to destroy tens of millions of pounds of perishable food.[21]
– In some major cities, traffic levels have dropped more than 90 percent, and at least 50 percent nearly everywhere.[22]
(Apr 13): The Supreme Court will hear half of the remaining cases of the term by phone conference call — a first in the court’s history — with the justices and the lawyers calling in remotely.
– The states are struggling with providing testing and basic medical equipment such as masks and ventilators. New Jersey, the state with the second-highest caseload in the country, has conducted about one test for every 75 residents. In New York, the epicenter of the crisis, there is about one for every 40. The tests are a critical tool in measuring the disease’s spread and a requirement for certain forms of treatment (hyperlink to the article below).
– The governors of several northeastern states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and similarly the governors of three West Coast states, Washington, Oregon and California, form regional pacts to plan gradual reopening of their economies.
(Apr 14): President Trump announces plans to halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the agency of “severely mismanaging and covering up” the coronavirus crisis.
(Apr 15): Demonstrators in Michigan protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home orders. A similar demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures was previously held in Ohio. President Trump openly encourages anti-lockdown protests in a series of tweets calling to “liberate” Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.
– In the efforts to contain the virus, Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo requires people to wear face coverings in public settings where they cannot keep six feet away from others.
(Apr 16): Officials across the U.S. are racing to provide coronavirus tests to diagnose infections and to identify recovered patients with antibodies that may help others battle the disease.
– Around 5 million more people file unemployment claims, as the job market in every sector of the economy continues to be devastated by the pandemic.
– Retail sales fall 8.7 percent in March from the month before, by far the largest decline in the nearly three decades.[23]
(Apr 20): The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across three states, reports 1,197 coronavirus cases, a per capita infection rate 10 times higher than Arizona and the third-highest infection rate in the country behind New York and New Jersey.
– The Department of Homeland Security announces travel restrictions with Canada and Mexico for another 30 days.
– South Carolina allows for many non-essential businesses to reopen, with beaches reopening the next day. South Carolina reported 4,439 confirmed cases and 124 deaths due to coronavirus.
– President Trump temporarily suspends immigration to the United States in response to the coronavirus pandemic, claiming the “need to protect jobs.”
(Apr 21): Hundreds of protesters gather at state capitols in North Carolina and Missouri to protest stay-at-home orders.
– Officials in Silicon Valley report two virus-related deaths that predate a Washington state fatality previously believed to be the first victim of COVID-19 in the United States.
– Researchers at Northeastern University in Boston determine that the coronavirus was silently spreading in several U.S. cities in early February. The research shows how far behind the United States was in detecting the virus, and how little or no systematic testing for the virus was taking place.[24]
(Apr 24): President Trump signs a $500-billion coronavirus bill passed earlier by both the House and the Senate. It includes additional money for the small-business loan program, as well as more funding for hospitals and testing.
– Georgia Governor Brian Kemp allows some businesses, such as hair and nail salons, gyms, and restaurants to reopen in the state. The critics of his decision say it is too early and point out to the virus cases still growing in Georgia. There are currently 18,947 confirmed coronavirus cases and 733 deaths in Georgia.
– Hundreds of Amazon tech and fulfillment center employees call out sick, rallying virtually to protest in their words unsafe and unethical working conditions.
(Apr 27): Texas announces that the state’s stay-at-home order will expire on April 30. Retailers are allowed to resume business, including restaurants, shopping malls and movie theaters.
– JetBlue Airways is the first U.S. airline to announce that all passengers will have to wear a face covering on flights.
(Apr 28): California Governor Gavin Newsom unveils a four-phase plan to reopen the state’s economy. Manufacturing, retail stores where curbside pick up is possible, and public spaces including some parks will be the first businesses to reopen.
(Apr 29): The number of U.S. coronavirus cases reaches one million, while deaths surpass 60,000. New York and New Jersey are the hardest hit.
– President Trump says there will be a fading out of the federal guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus that were set to expire on April 30.
(Apr 30): Around 3.8 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the U.S. jobless total to 30 million, about 18 percent of the workforce. Food banks across the U.S. are struggling to meet demand.
– California Governor Gavin Newsom orders beaches south of Los Angeles closed after pictures emerged of thousands flocking to Orange County’s coast and not social distancing. The city council in Huntington Beach votes to take legal action against the state for the beach closures.
– Hundreds of Michigan residents protest outside the state Capitol building in Lansing, demanding ending the state of emergency and opening the economy. Some angry protesters push their way inside the building where the Legislature is in session.[25]
Why Germany’s Coronavirus Death Rate Is Low from NYT
Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus from NYT
The backlog for Covid-19 testing from NYT
Why We Don’t Know the True Death Rate for Covid-19
Hidden Outbreaks Spread Through U.S. Cities Far Earlier Than Americans Knew
April 12 – United States
In coordination with the United States, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia, and other allied oil producers in a group known as OPEC Plus agree to reduce their production by 9.7 million barrels a day in May and June, about 10 percent of the world’s output. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic demand for oil worldwide fell by 35 percent. This is the largest production cut ever negotiated in an effort to stabilize the oil prices and help struggling economies in the Middle East and Africa, but also oil companies around the world that employ 10 million workers. Other oil countries outside OPEC, such as Canada, Brazil, Norway, and the United States, have been also cutting production. The oil prices that used to go above $100 a barrel are expected to stay below $40 for some time.[26]
More on how a drop in oil prices caused by the Covid-19 pandemic affects various economies
May 1 – North America
The field hospital at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits convention center closes after nearly 1,100 patients were treated there to help alleviate strain on the city’s hospitals.
– Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extends the state’s “stay home, stay healthy” order through May 31, outlining four phases of reopening businesses and events.
(May 2): Protesters carrying guns and at least one Confederate flag to the Kentucky Capitol rally against Gov. Andy Beshear’s stay-at-home order and his phased approach to gradual reopening of the economy. Similar protests are held in Ohio.
(May 7): After weeks of shutdowns, 30 states have started or will soon begin to reopen the economy with more new cases or a higher share of positive tests than two weeks ago. The White House said states should have a “downward trajectory” of cases over a 14-day period before reopening. But most of these states have actually had an increase of daily average cases in the past two weeks. (see articles below)
(May 8): The Department of Labor reports that the U.S. economy lost an unprecedented 20.5 million jobs in April, bringing total to 33 million. The unemployment rate soars to 14.7 percent.
(May 10): Coronavirus fatalities in the U.S. surpass 80,000, with New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Michigan, Connecticut and California among the hardest hit states.
(May 12): Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and other top Trump administration officials testify at a public Senate hearing about the coronavirus response and plans for people to return to work and school. Dr. Fauci warns of serious consequences if governors reopen state economies prematurely.
(May 15): April retail sales in the country sank by 16.4 percent to their lowest level on record. JC Penney stores and other retailers, as well as rental car company Hertz file for bankruptcy.
(May 18): More than 130,000 autoworkers return to factories across the U.S. for the first time in nearly two months, in one of the biggest steps yet to restart American industry.
(May 19): The U.S., Canada and Mexico agree to keep their shared borders closed to non-essential travel until June 21.
– President Trump raises tension between the World Health Organizations (WHO) and the United States by threatening to make permanent a temporary funding freeze on American donations to WHO. He accuses it of helping China cover up the coronavirus outbreak.
(May 22): A new study published in The Lancet found that hydroxychloroquine, a drug that President Trump said he was taking as a preventive strategy and has publicly touted, does not help COVID-19 patients, and may increase deaths. (see article below)
– A CDC report says that more than 62,000 doctors, nurses and other health care providers on the front lines of the U.S.’s COVID-19 crisis have been infected, and at least 291 had died.
(May 27): The United States surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Confirmed cases in the country also rose to above 1.5 million.
(May 28): The Texas Supreme Court blocks an effort by Democrats in the state to expand voting by mail, ruling that lack of immunity to COVID-19 does not qualify a person to apply for a mail-in ballot.
(May 30): Low-income neighborhoods with large minority populations have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.[27] (see article below)
Coronavirus and racial disparities (state by state)
Fauci warns reopening the country too soon could cost lives
Another large study finds no benefit to hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19
The Battle Between The Masked And The Masked-Nots Unveils Political Rifts
Most States That Are Reopening Fail to Meet White House Guidelines
U.S. polarized approach to the coronavirus pandemic
May 25 – United States
Protests sparked by George Floyd’s death in police custody
George Floyd, an African American man dies in police custody in Minneapolis after being pushed down to the ground and handcuffed by four police officers. One of them, white policeman Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was heard saying repeatedly that he could not breathe. The other three officers did not intervene. Floyd lost consciousness and later died in the hospital. Bystanders capture the incident on video and later share it on social media.
(May 26): The video causes widespread outrage and sparks protests in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis police chief fires all four policemen involved in the arrest of George Floyd.
(May 27): Massive protests (that will last for several weeks) organized by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement spread nationwide. People protest police brutality, racism, and racial inequality, and demand reforms. According to Mapping Police Violence, a research and advocacy group, the number of police killings in the U.S. has hovered around 1,100 every year since 2013.[28]
– Most demonstrations are peaceful; however, there are instances of looting and destruction of property. Protesters clash with police who use tear gas and fire rubber bullets into crowds. Governor of Minnesota activates thousands of National Guard troops to Minneapolis. Some cities order curfews.
(May 29): After intense pressure from the protests, former police officer Derek Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. From 2013-2019, 99 percent of killings by police have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime.[29]
(May 30): As protests continue with hundreds of thousands of people joining in across the country, cities report hundreds of arrests and the National Guard is deployed to dozens of states to help the police. President Trump threatens to use
– People in cities around the world march in solidarity and in support of Black Lives Matter protesters in the U.S.[30]
How Police Unions Became Such Powerful Opponents to Reform Efforts
For cops who kill, special Supreme Court protection
Protests in photographs
How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter
June 2 – United States
Global health: coronavirus, or COVID-19
A meta-analysis published in The Lancet finds that social distancing is the most effective way to slow the spread of the coronavirus — more so than face coverings and eye protection.
(Jun 5): The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the U.S. economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 percent, down from 14.7 percent in April.
(Jun 6): Coronavirus cases in the United States surpass 2 million with more than 110,000 deaths.
(Jun 8): – New York City begins the first phase of reopening after nearly three months of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. (See article below)
– The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) finds that the United States entered officially in a recession in February amid stay-at-home orders and business closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This downturn ends a historic 128-month economic growth that started in June 2009 after the Great Recession. The current recession is severe with unemployment at levels not seen since the Great Depression, but the NBER says this recession differs from previous ones because a virus rather than a weakness within the economy caused it.[31]
(Jun 20): While many states rolled back lockdowns, coronavirus cases are rising in 19 states across the South, West and Midwest. Florida and South Carolina break their single-day records for new cases. Infection levels for Missouri and Nevada also reach new highs. Texas experiences thousands of new COVID-19 hospitalizations and the most daily deaths since May 20.[32]
(Jun 25): Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pauses reopening the state.[33]
(Jun 30): The European Union approves a list of countries from where travelers will be allowed to visit the Union when it opens its external borders on July 1. The United States is not on this list. The list includes South Korea, Japan and, with a caveat, China. Those countries have been able to bring the coronavirus under control.[34] (See article below)
Our new normal in pictures
One graphic explains why Americans are facing an EU travel ban
New York City begins phase one of reopening
EU Sets New List Of Approved Travel Partners. The U.S. Isn’t On It
June 30 – United States
George Floyd national protests
A week after the death of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers in Minneapolis, MN widespread protests against police brutality continue across the United States. With much broader public support for Black Lives Matter this time, it is estimated that about 15 to 26 million people have participated in more than 4,700 demonstrations nationwide since the protests started on May 26. This makes it the largest movement in the country’s history, larger than the civil rights marches in the 1960s.[35] Governors in 28 states and the District of Columbia activate more than 20,400 National Guard troops to assist state and local law enforcement in support of civil unrest operations. The Trump Administration draws widespread criticism for its hardline militarized response to the protests.[36]
The protests have already led to some significant reforms. The Minneapolis City Council has pledged to dismantle the local police department and replace it with a community-led public safety system.[37] Lawmakers in New York have repealed a law that keeps police disciplinary records secret. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to divert money from the city’s police department to social services. Cities and states across the country have passed laws banning chokeholds.[38] Other changes include a removal in some cities of monuments to the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve the slavery. This extended later to a removal of other monuments representing systemic racism and the genocide of Native Americans.[39] In Mississippi, lawmakers voted to retire their state flag, which included a Confederate battle emblem.[40]
How the U.S.’s history has shaped today’s police brutality BBC video (3:24 min)
Protesters In Atlanta: Who They Are And What They Want
July 7 – United States
U.S. withdrawal from WHO
The Trump Administration officially notifies the Congress and the United Nations of the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Lawmakers from both parties criticize the move in the middle of the public health crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump justifies the withdrawal over WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics say the move could interfere with clinical trials that are essential to the development of vaccines, further undermine the U.S.’s international standing, and make it harder to work with other countries to stop viruses before they get to the United States. The withdrawal is expected to take effect July 6, 2021.[41]
July 7 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
While the United States has surpassed three million coronavirus cases, many cities and states are still struggling with testing (article below).[42] States that were first to reopen before May 1, such as South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Georgia, are experiencing a spike in new cases, while those that reopened later see a significant decrease in new infections. Daily cases in New York are down 52 percent, and down 83 percent in Massachusetts.[43] On the other hand, Florida coronavirus cases hit 200,000 as the state adds over 40,000 cases in just four days. The critics blame the state’s Governor Ron DeSantis for his response to the virus, including his early refusal to shut down beaches before they were flooded by crowds during a spring break, and his refusal to issue a statewide face mask order.[44]
(Jul 8): Puerto Rico’s economy has been badly impacted by the pandemic with 30 percent of the labor force filing for unemployment. The percentage of people out of work is much higher as Puerto Rico has an extensive informal economy.[45]
(Jul 30): The pandemic shutdowns have caused the U.S. economy to shrink by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, the fastest rate since at least the 1940s. This drop wipes away nearly five years of economic growth. Also, the expiration of expanded jobless benefits creates a new risk for the economy. [46]
(July 31): More than 150,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus. The U.S. records 1,429 deaths, the highest one-day total since May 27, and a 7-day average of over 60,000 new cases.[47]
U.S. Cities Still Lack Testing Capacity
Pandemic Plunges Puerto Rico Into Yet Another Dire Emergency
July 17 – United States
Passing of John Lewis
Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis dies at 80. He was one of the “Big Six” civil rights leaders that also included Martin Luther King Jr., the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington. As a Democrat, he was first elected to Congress from the state of Georgia in 1986 serving 17 terms in the House of Representatives. His involvement in the civil rights movement that ended racial segregation in the United State was critical. Since then he continued his fight for justice, equality, and freedom.[48] In 2011, Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which together with the Congressional Gold Medal, is the highest civilian awards of the United States.
Obituary: John Lewis, US civil rights champion
July 26 – United States
Protests
After President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy federal law enforcement troops to Portland, OR to suppress protests over police brutality that have continued for the last 50 days spark even more protests and clashes in Portland and other cities across the country in solidarity. People who join the protests say they are outraged with the federal government sending its agents to Portland despite the clear message from the city’s leaders opposing the move (read article below).[49]
Cities in Bind as Turmoil Spreads Far Beyond Portland
Who Are The Protesters Who Make The Anti-Police Movement Not Entirely Peaceful?
August 9 – United States
China-Iran Partnership
A leaked document shows that China and Iran are entering into a 25-year strategic partnership in trade, politics, culture, and security. China will invest in Iranian infrastructure, transport and seaports, while Iran will provide China with steady supplies of discounted oil and gas. For sanctions-hit Iran, this cooperation ensures the flow of cash into its economy. For China, with its growing influence in East Asia an Africa, this partnership allows China to play more active role in the Middle East, challenging the United States interests and undermining its influence in the region.[50]
More on the China-Iran Partnership and its implications
August 26 – United States
Environment – California fires / Climate change
Hundreds of wildfires engulf the American state of California, burning over a million acres of land in less than a week and forcing a hundred thousand people to evacuate. The smoke from the fires is spreading beyond California causing the quality of air to reach dangerous levels. California wildfires are part of natural cycle in many ecosystems, but these are more intense, burning more than three times the average acreage in just nine days. According to statistics from Cal-Fire, these are the largest, most destructive, deadliest wildfires on record for the state. Longer drought and a record-breaking heat wave in the West played a significant role in these rapid wildfires.
Connection to Climate Change
Climate change has led to more intense droughts, especially across California, which combined with increased temperatures are causing more intense wildfires.[51]
More on the California wildfires and their connection to climate change
Inequality of climate change
August 28 – United States
Hurricane Laura
Hurricane Laura strengthens from Category 2 to Category 4 within just 24 hours right before making landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana. This deadly hurricane is tied with the 1856 Last Island hurricane as the strongest storm to hit Louisiana. The devastation and damage that stretches all the way to northern parts of the state is estimated at $8-12 billion. The storm kills at least 30 people in the U.S., displaces tens of thousands from their homes, and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and water.[52] An analysis of satellite images dating back to 1979 shows that global warming increases chances for hurricanes to become stronger and more destructive as warmer waters provide more energy for storms.[53]
Climate Change Is Making Hurricanes Stronger
August 31 – United States / Canada
Global Health: Coronavirus, or COVID-19
The United States passes six million confirmed coronavirus cases.[54] The U.S. also averages 1,000 deaths per day from coronavirus, with a total of more than 170,000 deaths so far. Per capita, Georgia has had the most cases per day over a seven-day average of any state, followed by Texas and Florida. These states are led by governors who pushed to reopen during the spring, including restaurants, bars, and gyms, saw major summer surges of cases, and are currently pushing to reopen schools.[55]
Back to school
Many of the schools and colleges across the country that decided to reopen for in-person classes report a surge in new coronavirus cases. In Mississippi, nearly 2,000 K-12 students and more than 300 employees have been quarantined due to possible exposure.[56]
Covid-19 and Native Americans
The rate of coronavirus among American Indian and Alaskan Native people is 3.5 times higher than among White people. Some factors might be the limited access to running water and household size.[57]
Health and social inequities and minorities in the U.S.
Economic recession
The world’s top developed economies are all officially in a recession due to the pandemic. Canada France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States report that their economies shrank dramatically in the first half of 2020, although each at different speeds. Between April and June, the U.S. economic output shrank by 9.1 percent, Canada recorded the sharpest decline in records dating back to 1961, 11.5 percent, while the United Kingdom has fared the worst with its economy shrinking by 20.4 percent in the same period of time.[58]
More on the state of the world’s top economies during the pandemic
September 9 – United States
The U.S. military is reducing the number of its troops in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 during this month, saying the Iraqi military is now capable of carrying out independent operations against the remnants of the terrorist group, ISIS. The U.S., however will continue advising and assisting the Iraqis. About 500 U.S. troops still remain in Syria and 8,600 in Afghanistan.[59]
U.S. active-duty military presence overseas in the last 60 years
September 15 – United States
Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sign a U.S.-brokered peace agreement at the White House (agreed earlier on August 13) that normalizes relations between the two countries. This makes the UAE the third Arab country (after Egypt and Jordan) to restore a relationship with Israel.
The deal known as the Abraham Accord
As part of this agreement, both countries will exchange ambassadors and cooperate on investment, commerce, tourism, and military. They also resume direct commercial flights. Israel, on its part agrees to temporarily suspend plans to annex the West Bank. Palestinians denounce the deal calling it “a betrayal of Jerusalem” and announce an immediate withdrawal of their Ambassador to the UAE. The deal has been also condemned by Iran.[60]
Five reasons why Israel’s peace deals with the UAE and Bahrain matter
September 18 – United States
Supreme Court of the United States
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at the age of 87. She was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and was only the second woman ever confirmed to the bench. Known as RBG, she was an outspoken advocate for gender equality and civil rights. She has become the first woman in US history to lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
What does it mean to lie in state?
RBG’s work and achievements
RBG in pictures and her own words
About the U.S. Supreme Court
September 22 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or COVID-19
The United States surpasses 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus, eight months into the pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus deaths and the number of cases, with over 6.8 million people infected by the virus since January. California and New York, after being hit by the virus at the beginning of the pandemic, are now recording COVID-19 infections below one percent for six straight weeks due to aggressive restrictions on gatherings, mandatory quarantines, travel restrictions, and masking. Currently, states like Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Wisconsin and the Dakotas are experiencing unprecedented numbers of positive coronavirus cases, setting single day records attributed to community spread.[61]
October 2 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
President Donald Trump and First lady test positive for COVID-19. Several other high-profile people and staffers in the White House also test positive. President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 207,000 people in the United States so far, questioning the effectiveness of wearing face masks and social distancing, likening the virus to the flu, and insisting that it will just disappear.[62] He has held crowded political rallies where attendees did not wear masks nor social-distanced.[63] As President Trump’s symptoms worsen, he is taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He is given three drugs: an experimental antibody therapy Regeneron, which may reduce levels of coronavirus and speed up a recovery, but has yet to be approved for general public, as well as remdesivir and dexamethasone. [64]
(Oct 5): President Trump is discharged from the hospital.
(Oct 15): The U.S. reaches eight million Covid-19 cases.[65]
(Oct 23): The U.S. registers a single-day record of more than 85,000 new cases. This time the coronavirus surge is raging across America’s rural areas, especially in the Midwest and Mountain West.[66] One rural state, Vermont, is an exception. It has not recorded a single Covid-19 death in more than two months (read an article below).[67]
Opinion: How Could the President Get the Coronavirus
Vermont’s Approach to the Virus
October 26 – United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The United States Senate confirms Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The confirmation takes place just a week before Election Day and only 30 days after Barrett’s nomination. The vote is split along party lines, with 52 Republican Senators voting for the confirmation and all Democratic Senators voting against. Democrats criticized Barrett’s nomination so close to Election Day, after the Republican-led Senate in 2016 refused to hold hearings for then-President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, nearly eight months before that year’s election. Barrett’s appointment solidifies the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority.[68]
Why the Supreme Court has nine justices
November 3 – United States
Elections
The United States is holding elections for the office of the president, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Voters also pick governors in 13 states, as well as state, local, tribal and judicial officials. In the presidential election, Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden defeats the incumbent, Republican Donald Trump, with 306 electoral votes against 232 (270 needed to win). While the states of Florida, Ohio, and North Caroline go for Trump, Biden flips several Republican states such as Georgia and Arizona that last voted Democratic for President in 1996. He also wins the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania that Trump won four years ago.[69] More votes are cast in this election than in any U.S. election in history, with former Vice President Biden earning over 80 million votes (about 7 million more votes than President Trump). Also, the turnout rate of 66.5 percent is the highest in more than a century.[70]
Presidential election results in maps
What is the Electoral College and how does it work?
In the congressional elections, Democrats lose seats in the House of Representatives, but retain their majority. Control of the Senate will be decided on January 5th, as both of Georgia’s seats will be contested in run-off elections.[71]
Senate and House elections results in maps
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this election saw unprecedented levels of voting by mail and early voting. After Biden’s win, President Trump refuses to concede, stalling the transfer of power, making baseless accusations of fraud and challenging the results in multiple legal suits in courts, including the U.S Supreme Court, to invalidate the votes in the swing states.[72] He is directly contradicted by election officials, who issue a statement declaring that the election “was the most secure in American history” and that “there is no evidence” any voting systems were compromised.[73]Supreme Court Dismisses Texas Lawsuit To Overturn Election Results
More on President Trump’s legal challenges
November 9 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
To slow down alarming surge of the virus without shutting down the economy, many state governors strongly urge the public to wear masks, while implementing other precautions. Utah governor announces statewide mask mandate and limits social gatherings to only within households for two weeks. He also shuts down all extracurricular school activities. Utah has been reporting more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week with hospitals rapidly running out of beds. New Jersey orders restaurants and nightclubs to close at 10 p.m. Similar measures are introduced in Alaska, Denver, Colorado, and other states.[74] According to a new study, between March and May, restaurants, gyms and other crowded indoor venues accounted for 80 percent of new infections in the U.S. (see article below).
Limiting Indoor Capacity Can Reduce Coronavirus Infections
(Nov 18): Two American and German companies, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, develop coronavirus vaccines that are 95 percent effective and have no serious side effects. After receiving emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the companies will be ready to deliver up to 50 million doses by the end of the year, and up to 1.3 billion by the end of next year. The vaccine has been developed in a record time, less than a year, a process that usually takes years.[75]
The University of Oxford in the United Kingdom also developed the coronavirus vaccine, which shows for now to be 70 percent effective. AstraZeneca Company pledges to make three billion doses for the world next year.[76]
Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine named Sputnik V was registered for emergency use in August, although it had only been tested on a few dozen people. The vaccine is now offered for general public despite being in the midst of trials to check that it’s safe and actually works.[77]
How the vaccine was developed in record time
More on Covid-19 vaccines and how they work
More on Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine
(Nov 27): The U.S. reaches 13 million diagnosed cases of Covid-19, with 4 million just this month, more than doubling the previous record of 1.9 million cases set in October. U.S. hospitals are at a breaking point with severe staffing and bed shortages. More than 264,000 people in the U.S. have died of the disease.[78] Public health experts warn that the virus will continue to surge during cold weather months, when people spend more time indoors and around people outside their immediate circles during the holidays.
Virus Deaths Approach Spring Record Amid Changing U.S. Crisis
Covid-19 in a small town
The Pandemic’s Dangerous New Chapter
December 10 – United States
Foreign relations
Morocco is the fourth Arab country to begin normalizing relations with Israel under accords brokered by the United States. Both sides will reopen liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv (rather than embassies or consulates). They will also expand economic and cultural cooperation. In return the U.S. will recognize the Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a long-disputed territory.[79] Palestinian officials condemn the agreement, saying it encourages Israel’s denial of their rights. Morocco, however, reaffirms that it is still committed to the Palestinian cause.
More about the consequences of the U.S. recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara
December 14 – United States
U.S. elections
The Electoral College votes to confirm Joe Biden’s win as president and Kamala Harris as vice president in the arcane process laid out in the U.S. Constitution. This time there are no “faithless electors”, which is when presidential electors vote for someone else other than their state’s popular vote winner. President Trump has not conceded and continues to attack the election results as fraudulent without any evidence. He also unsuccessfully has challenged them in dozens of courts.[80]
What is a faithless elector?
Electoral College: The people who ultimately pick the US president
A historic win of Kamala Harris
December 14 – United States
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
As the U.S. surpasses 300,000 coronavirus deaths and 15 million cases, it begins its vaccination campaign using the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine that received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine will go first to medical staff and older people. Most Americans will have to wait several more months to receive the vaccine.[81]
Pfizer’s Vaccine Offers Strong Protection After First Dose
(Dec 26): Polls in the United States show that people who are willing to take the coronavirus vaccine has grown to more than 60 percent, and in one poll 73 percent — a figure that should be sufficient for herd immunity.[82]
More on the vaccine in the U.S.
How does a vaccine get approved? (video: 02:53 min)