The weekend was relatively quiet on the news front by recent standards. The U.S. President said the various factions in Congress and himself were close to a new round of Federal Government stimulus, expected to be over $300 billion and possibly ready for enactment by early this week. Progress continues to be made in the COVID-19 pandemic battle, with plans across Europe for partial emergence from the national lockdowns picking up speed.
Much the same noises are being made in the United States as well, although the landscape there is much more fractured. Friction continues between the Federal Government and State Governments over resources and the pace of reopening. The U.S. also had to contend with mass protests in some states, supported by the President, with thousands demanding a reopening of local economies. As I watched the protests outside state legislatures, the irony I felt was that many protestors were wearing face masks. Much more frightening was that most of them were…