Trump weighs cost in lives to help the economy

S THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS RAVAGED THE U.S., PRESIDENT Donald Trump weighed whether to lift or lessen social restrictions designed to save lives and avoid swamping hospitals with COVID-19 patients. To slow the spread of the pandemic, the White House had recommended upending daily life by working from home; limiting social gatherings to 10 or fewer people; and avoiding travel, restaurants and nonessential shopping, among other measures. But with industry grinding to a halt and unemployment set to soar, Trump began asserting that the damage to the economy may outstrip the damage to public health. “We have to go back to work much sooner than people thought,” Trump said March 24. He