Experts agree: This virus isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But it’s possible that in the months ahead we’ll devise bright new ways to fight back.
By Andrew Dunn, Aria Bendix, and Hilary Brueck
As the pandemic approaches its second year, the coronavirus has morphed into a tougher foe.
Several mutations that scientists have identified in rapidly spreading variants are particularly worrisome. They raise concerns that these strains will be more contagious or be able to at least partly evade protection provided by vaccines and by prior infections.
Let’s be clear: No one knows how the next phase of the pandemic…
Rudy Giuliani’s pathetic press conference underscored how little President Trump has to back his claims of election fraud. It was also hilarious.
By Linette Lopez
On Thursday former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — representing the President of the United States — took to television to decry the outcome of the 2020 election, spout conspiracy theories, and echo disproven lies.
One of his equally glassy-eyed fellows claimed that former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — a man who died in 2013 — helped rig the 2020 election.
Giuliani sweat so profusely that his hair dye ran down his face. He…
Despite heavy sanctions, North Korea has found ways to enrich its leaders and to finance its military.
By Ellen Ioanes
The Department of Justice said last month that North Korea has used cyberattacks to steal over $1 billion since 2015 to fund its nuclear weapons program.
Heavy sanctions, imposed by both the US and the UN, prevent North Korea from participating in the formal global economy. The regime often circumvents these sanctions, mostly through secretive ship-to-ship transfers of luxury goods, chemicals, and coal, which is North Korea’s primary export.
North Korea’s nuclear program is essential to the Kim regime, and…
When you own a home, you’re responsible for keeping up with (and paying for) all repair bills, utilities, and property taxes.
By Liz Knueven
As a renter, you may not have had to think about the garbage bill or how to afford a new roof. But, as a homeowner, that responsibility — and expense — is up to you.
Owning a home comes with many more responsibilities and benefits that renters can’t get. Here are the big changes you’ll find when you go from renting your home to owning it.
1. You’re responsible for repairs and expenses, and you’ll need to save for them
When something broke or leaked in your rented home, you…
Some people might prefer Johnson & Johnson’s shot because it was tested on variants, has milder side effects, and is easier to get.
By Hilary Brueck and Andrew Dunn
Americans have had two extremely similar authorized COVID-19 vaccines since December: one mRNA vaccine from Pfizer, and another mRNA vaccine from Moderna.
But now, there is another coronavirus shot authorized for use across the US: Johnson & Johnson’s adenovirus jab, which got a green light from the US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday after an expert committee unanimously recommended on Friday evening that it should receive emergency-use authorization.
The unemployment rate for Black Americans has historically been high, and Black Americans hold less wealth and make less than white Americans.
By Madison Hoff
February is Black History Month, when the achievements of Black Americans are recognized and celebrated.
Although the US has come a long way in working toward equity in the workplace and recognizing the work and contributions of Black Americans, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality. …
The pandemic has exacerbated the effects of child poverty, and now Congress has the chance to pass a program to halve child poverty within a year.
By Suraj Patel
The United States has one of the highest child poverty rates of developed countries, which reflects one simple fact: our investment in children systemically fails to match our society’s collective rhetoric about them, something the pandemic has made painfully clear. Our inordinately high rates of child poverty are the result of our political priorities — currently less than 10% of the federal budget is spent on children.
The debt crisis in the US is similar to global warming — it is an incremental but enormous phenomenon that could trigger disaster at any given point.
By Brian Hamilton
Since the start of the new year, Americans have once again begun to receive more COVID relief checks. In addition to the analysis about the effects on the economy, there has been some discussion about the implications of this for our national debt but. But, to me, there hasn’t been enough.
I often wonder whether economists really understand the nature of debt, because borrowing is not just an economic concept…
The novelist Julia Dahl reaches out to fellow writers like Kate Reed Petty, Jodi Picoult, and S.A. Cosby to ask how they are handling the coronavirus.
By Julia Dahl
Last month, I turned in the copy edits for my fourth novel. The next week, when I opened up the rough outline for my fifth, I was confronted with this question: does Covid-19 exist in the new book I’m writing?
I dashed off a Tweet.
Most said they were steering clear. Author Kate Reed Petty, whose debut novel “True Story” received rave reviews, admitted: “I’m not ready to process it.”…
A healthier economy means more demand and higher prices for thinks like houses and healthcare. This inflation doesn’t mean the US is overheating.
By Hillary Hoffower and Ben Winck
Experts are growing increasingly hopeful the US economy will rebound in 2021, but there’s a price to pay for that. The price of most things, actually.
A vaccine rollout, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, and the lift in spending from December’s smaller stimulus paint a promising picture of a roaring, reopened America with lively restaurants, indoor dancing, and crowded stadiums. The economy is set for “stellar” growth as the pandemic subsides…
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