Back to work soon? U.S. equity markets posted their strongest weekly gains in decades amid mounting evidence that the "coronavirus curve" is flattening in key "hotspots" around the world including New York City and western Europe. Epidemiological models that were cited as justification for unprecedented and immensely damaging economic shutdowns - notably the widely-followed IHME from the University of Washington - have been revised drastically lower in the last two weeks as initial input data has been proven faulty as more data has become available. Meanwhile, unemployment data showed that nearly 17 million Americans - 10% of the workforce - have lost their jobs over the last three weeks, a surge in joblessness comparable only to the Great Depression, prompting a growing drumbeat of restless and unemployed Americans to question the justification behind the damaging economic shutdowns.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE