Germany, France propose recovery fund for pandemic-hit EU

BERLIN (AP) — Germany and France jointly proposed a 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund Monday to boost European economies hit by the coronavirus pandemic. In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the fund would see European Union budget money used to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the outbreak. Macron said that under the proposal, the 27 EU countries…