United States Department of Commerce

The United States Department of Justice has filed for an immediate ban of WeChat from the US app stores with Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler.

The case is currently tried in court and on Saturday Judge Beeler has stated that an immediate ban would affect the First Amendment rights of users in response to a request for a ban from the Commerce Department.

Early Sunday, the U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler blocked the Commerce Department from requiring Apple and Google to remove WeChat for downloads. The judge issued a preliminary injunction at the request of the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance.

The preliminary injunction also blocked the order barring other transactions with WeChat in the United States that could have degraded the site’s usability for current U.S. users.

The U.S. Commerce Department on Saturday announced a one-week delay until September 27 on order to remove TikTok app from mobile application stores owned by Apple and Google. The decision came after President Trump has given tentative approval to an Oracle-Wallmart deal that will keep TikTok alive in the country.

Trump said, on Saturday, that "I have given the deal my blessing, I approve the deal in concept."

The United States Commerce Department has reported a drop in the gross domestic product of 32,9% in the second quarter of 2020.

This marks the highest drop in the United States GDP in recorded history, almost four times higher than the worst quarter during the Great Recession.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, retail sales fell by 16.4 percent in April. Retail sales dropped 8.3 percent in March but didn't show such a significantly drastic drop due to panic buying. The economic crisis has already shown a dramatic impact on the retail sector, with big retailers like Neiman Marcus and J.Crew filing for bankruptcy protection.