Sep 26, 2017

More STD cases recorded in 2016 than ever before

The bacteria which causes chlamydia, the most prevalent STD in 2016. Photo: CDC via AP

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded over 2 million cases of STDs in 2016, the highest-ever number. The most prevalent disease, with 1.6 million cases, was chlamydia, followed by gonorrhea, with 470,000 cases.

Why it matters: The number of reported cases is on the rise. There were 4.7% more cases of chlamydia in 2016 than 2015, and an 18.5% increase in gonorrhea during that time period. Cases of syphilis, which are much less prevalent than chlamydia or gonorrhea, saw a 17.6% bump from 2015 to 2016.

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Courtenay Brown

Fed will lend up to $2.3 trillion amid coronavirus crisis

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at a press conference in March. Photo: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

The Federal Reserve announced Thursday that it will support the coronavirus-hit economy with up to $2.3 trillion in loans to businesses, state and city governments — made possible in part by Treasury funds set aside in the government stimulus package.

Why it matters: The Fed has taken more action amid the coronavirus outbreak than it has in any other financial crisis in U.S. history in an effort to blunt the effects of the resulting economic shutdown.

DetailsUpdated 3 mins ago - Economy & Business

Dan Primack

Senate Democrats block Republicans' $250 billion PPP injection

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Before the Paycheck Protection Program formally launched last Friday, we knew two things: The rollout would be rocky, and the initial $250 billion wouldn't be enough for America's small businesses.

The state of play: Banks and government officials have been working to smooth out the process. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's attempt to pump another $250 billion into the program via unanimous consent was blocked by Democrats, who are proposing an alternative.

Go deeperUpdated 4 mins ago - Economy & Business

Rashaan Ayesh

Fauci: Social distancing could reduce coronavirus death toll to 60,000

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" on Thursday that he's hopeful that social-distancing measures in place across the U.S. will reduce the total number of coronavirus deaths.

Why it matters: Fauci said that while early models projected between 100,000 and 200,000 U.S. deaths from the pandemic, he now believes that number could come down to 60,000 — but he emphasized the importance of keeping social distancing in place to ensure that trend holds.

Go deeper34 mins ago - Health