On Mother's Day, leaders search for optimism amid pandemic

FRANK JORDANS and NOMAAN MERCHANT

Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — As families in the U.S. and elsewhere marked Mother's Day in a time of social distancing and isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, world leaders projected optimism they could loosen lockdowns while controlling a potential second wave of infections.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin predicted the American economy would rebound in the second half of this year from unemployment rates that rival the Great Depression. Another 3.2 million U.S. workers applied for jobless benefits last week, bringing the total over the last seven w...