.By Mary Clare Jalonick and Eric Tucker
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., stepped aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday after the FBI served a search warrant for his phone as part of an ongoing insider-trading investigation tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the move, saying he and Burr had agreed it was in the Senate's best interests.
FBI officials showed up at Burr's home with the warrant on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation into the Justice Department's investigation into whether Burr broke the law with a well-timed sale of stocks before the coronavirus caused markets to plummet,
The Justice Department declined to comment. His attorney did not respond to phone and email messages, but said last month that the law is clear that any senator can participate in stock market trading based on public information "as Sen. Burr did."
More than 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
Stocks are rising in early trading on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve launched its latest unprecedented effort to support the economy through the coronavirus outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has new guidance for essential workers as it takes a small step toward reopening the country.
By Wednesday, day four of the program, some $80 billion of the $350 billion promised to small businesses in relief loans had been processed. But few lenders, if any, have begun funding any loans, meaning it could still be weeks before businesses receive the relief they desperately need right now.
Stocks are up 3% on Wall Street as investors focus on the optimistic side of data about the coronavirus outbreak’s trajectory.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Wednesday announced an executive order expanding the scope of the state's coronavirus restrictions.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that 779 people in the state have died in a single day, marking another solemn milestone as the state fights to slow down the devastation of COVID-19.
Entrepreneur, NBA owner, and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban told Cheddar on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic could signal a shift in the U.S. economy toward workers.
Bernie Sanders, who saw his once strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporate as the party’s establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden, has ended his presidential bid.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Golden State had managed to secure a monthly supply of 200 million N95 respiratory and surgical masks, opening up the possibility of helping other states struggling to secure protective supplies.
