Alva Review-Courier -

WASHINGTON (AP) — There was no presidential appearance and no White House backdrop Friday when the government's coronavirus task force briefed the public for the first since April — in keeping with an administration effort to show it's paying attention to the latest spike in cases but not on a wartime footing that should keep the country from reopening the economy.

The briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services was held as the number of confirmed new coronavirus infections per day in the U.S. soared to an all-time high of 40,000 — higher even than during the deadliest stretch in A...