An unprecedented 6.6 million people filed unemployment claims in the last week of March, meaning 10 million people have now filed for jobless claims since the coronavirus pandemic ripped through the country, shattering the economy.

A total of 6,648,000 people filed initial unemployment claims for the week ending March 28, more than double the roughly 3.3 million seasonally adjusted initial claims the previous week. Until that point, the highest level on record was 695,000 in October of 1982. Read Full Story

• The Hill: Trump Administration Clamping Down on Exports to China: Report
• Washington Examiner: Tom Cotton: ‘Mainstream Media are Largely Apologists for Chinese Communists’ Amid Coronavirus
• The Washington Free Beacon: Report: U.S. Intelligence Concludes China Is Lying About Coronavirus
• Townhall: America Still a Global Leader Even in Time of Crisis
• Axios: Coronavirus Dashboard

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., is poised to enter the White House as President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff at a time when the administration faces its most dire crisis yet with the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic.

Meadows will be closely watched to see if he can transform from a political animal to a White House official who can help quarterback the administration’s response to an outbreak that has killed thousands in America.

The former House Freedom Caucus chairman, who gained a reputation for engaging in political gamesmanship in the lower chamber, now faces the challenge of effectively handling a national emergency as the White House hopes to project preparedness and competence. Read Full Story

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• PJ Media: The Democrats Want You to Be Out of Work
• Axios: Coronavirus Dashboard

Late in the evening on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell informed lawmakers in the chamber that, following a vote to pass a historic $2 trillion economic relief package, the Senate would close for business until April 20. He said it was to protect senators and staff from the spread of the coronavirus.

But McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, hinted that more economic aid might be needed and that the Senate should “stay nimble” and prepare to return sooner.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, McConnell’s Democratic counterpart across the Capitol, suggested that members of Congress shouldn’t count on remaining away so long. Read Full Story

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• American Thinker: The Next Looming Economic Contagion: Pensions Collapse
• Townhall: Tom Cotton: A Reckoning Is Coming for China
• The Federalist: ‘Sanctuary’ Cities That Rejected Federal Law Are Now Pleading For Federal Help
• Axios: Coronavirus Dashboard