Hard Numbers: Johnson's star falls, black Americans bear COVID brunt, Spain's tourism slump, Afghan ceasefire

May 26, 2020

20: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's national approval rating has plummeted 20 points in just four days following his decision to back a top aide who violated lockdown restrictions despite showing symptoms of COVID-19. Johnson's approval dropped to -1, the lowest on record since the coronavirus pandemic began.

2.4: COVID-19 underlines racially based US inequality. Its death rate is 2.4 times higher for black Americans than for whites, and 2.2 times higher than for Asians and Latinos.

92 billion: Spain, which draws about 15 percent of its total GDP from tourism, stands to lose as much as 92 billion euros in revenue this year as a result of travel bans. The government says it will move to lift travel restrictions by July 1 in order to limit the economic fallout, but whether people will choose to vacation there this summer is a different story.

900: The Afghan government released 900 Taliban prisoners as part of a ceasefire to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. This is just the second halt in fighting between the foes in two decades, boosting hopes for intra-Afghan peace going forward..

Hard Numbers: Johnson's star falls, black Americans bear COVID brunt, Spain's tourism slump, Afghan ceasefire

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Hard Numbers: Johnson's star falls, black Americans bear COVID brunt, Spain's tourism slump, Afghan ceasefire

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More from GZERO Media

How do we ensure AI is trustworthy in an era of rapid technological change? Baroness Joanna Shields, Executive Chair of the Responsible AI Future Foundation, says it starts with principles of responsible AI and a commitment to ethical development.

These days, US farmers aren’t just worried about the weather jeopardizing their harvests. They’re keeping a close eye on geopolitical storms as well.

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

The United States is #winning. But while the short-term picture looks strong, the United States is systematically trading long-term strategic advantages for more immediate tactical gains, with the accumulating costs hiding in plain sight.

Let no one drain your peace #PUPPETREGIME

Beneath steady wage growth, the labor market is shifting. New data from Bank of America points to weaker job growth and widening income gaps that could reshape recovery trends. Subscribe to Bank of America Institute for the full view of the US job market.