Barack Obama ripped the U.S. response to coronavirus. A top economic adviser said unemployment could hit 20%. Here's the weekend's biggest news. | | | | | | | | Ahmaud Arbery: What we know about the slaying of a Georgia jogger | Surveillance video recorded minutes before Ahmaud Arbery's death proves the Georgia man was not involved in a crime, attorneys for his family say. An individual believed to be Arbery was seen at a property under construction for less than 3 minutes – and did nothing illegal – before being ambushed a short while later, lawyers said in a statement Saturday night. "Ahmaud did not take anything from the construction site. He did not cause any damage to the property," the attorneys said. | Arbery, 25, was killed Feb. 23 about 2 miles from his home in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Georgia. Two men, a father and son, were arrested last week on murder and aggravated assault charges. The original decision not to make an arrest triggered a tsunami of outrage that Arbery was racially profiled after an initial video of the incident surfaced on social media in recent weeks. Gregory McMichael told police he and his son, Travis, saw Arbery running and believed he was a burglary suspect. McMichael said the two armed themselves and pursued Arbery in their truck. The two told police Arbery attacked them after one of them got out of the truck with a shotgun. | | White House enacts new precautions as coronavirus moves closer to Trump's inner circle | With coronavirus exposure arriving in the West Wing, the White House is taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of the president and his staff after two administration aides tested positive for the virus. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be tested daily for the virus, as will every staff member in close proximity to them, White House spokesman Judd Deere said Sunday. Dr. Anthony Fauci is taking "appropriate precautions," while two other White House Coronavirus Task Force members – Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration – will self-quarantine for two weeks after being in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. | Obama rips US coronavirus response, vows to campaign 'as hard as I can' for Biden | Former President Barack Obama slammed the United States' response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling it an "absolute chaotic disaster" and promised to campaign "as hard as I can" for former Vice President Joe Biden in a Friday call with 3,000 people who served in his administration. Citing concerns about division and tribalism in the country and internationally, Obama said that has contributed to an "anemic and spotty" response to the health crisis. While the challenge would be difficult for any government to address, it has been an "absolute chaotic disaster" in the U.S., he said. A recording of the call was obtained by Yahoo News. Katie Hill, Obama's communications director, confirmed the call to CBS News. | Real quick | | Unemployment rate could hit 20%, top economic adviser says | White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett predicted Sunday the unemployment rate could rise above 20% and the worst job losses would come in "May or June" because of the coronavirus pandemic. When asked what the "bottom" of the country's unemployment pain would be, Hassett, the former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that "to get unemployment rates like the ones that we're about to see ... which I think will climb up towards 20% by next month, you have to really go back to the Great Depression." He said he expects "rates north of 20." The economic situation would be different from the Great Depression, when unemployment soared to 25%, he said, because the country has a better understanding of the cause of the current economic slowdown. | Delta, citing health concerns, drops service to 10 US airports | Delta Air Lines announced Friday that it is cutting service at 10 U.S. airports serving cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago as part of a previously announced 85% overall reduction in its service schedule. The changes take effect Wednesday and will stay until September, the airline said, portraying the cutbacks as an attempt to reduce its employees' possible exposure to the coronavirus. In each case, Delta says the airports where it is temporarily pulling service are relatively close to other, larger airports that travelers can use as an alternative. | This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. | | MORE ARTICLES | | | | |
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