Native people have been disproportionately hit by Covid-19, experiencing higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death than White people in the US. But when it comes to vaccine administration, tribal health providers are often outpacing counties and states. For the most part, the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in the US so far has been beset by
Continue ReadingTheodore Taylor was pretty surprised when he received a tax document recently from Ohio’s unemployment agency showing that he had been paid $1,300 in benefits last year. A Philadelphia resident, Taylor was employed in Pennsylvania during all of 2020 — by the Internal Revenue Service. So when he got a 1099-G tax document earlier this
Continue ReadingThe United Kingdom should introduce special visas and overhaul its stock market rules to allow entrepreneurs to keep control of their companies if it wants to remain competitive in financial technology after Brexit. Those are among the recommendations contained in a new report published on Friday. It is one of several reviews commissioned by the
Continue ReadingRepublican legislators around the country are moving aggressively to strip governors and other officials of their power to change election rules — after states made it easier to vote last year during the coronavirus pandemic and turnout surged to record levels. The measures have been introduced in at least eight states with Republican-controlled legislatures —
Continue ReadingOn the cusp of passing President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could move the legislation without a single Democratic defection. It’s a sign of Democrats’ willingness to back the President on his first big legislative push and a reflection of Pelosi’s firm hold on the caucus that may prove her most
Continue ReadingBayard Rustin (1912-1987) overcame prejudice on multiple levels to become a key ally of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century. An openly gay Black man during the Jim Crow era, Rustin was arrested for having sex with men at a time when homosexuality
Continue ReadingThe name of Mary Jackson, NASA’s first African American female engineer and one of the barrier-breaking inspirations for the book “Hidden Figures,” will officially adorn the space agency’s Washington, DC, headquarters Friday. NASA announced its decision last year to name the building in Jackson’s honor. Members of her family, including granddaughter Wanda Jackson, are expected
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Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving isn’t letting go of his idea for the National Basketball Association to incorporate a silhouette of Kobe Bryant on its logo. The current distinctive logo was introduced in 1969 and features the silhouette of LA Lakers great Jerry West dribbling a ball, but Irving says it should be replaced in
Continue ReadingLook up at the night sky tonight to catch a glimpse of February’s full moon, which will be 100% full on Saturday at 3:17 a.m. ET. The full moon will be visible around the world, but poor weather may block the view for some. Moon gazers can watch a live stream of the full moon
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A year into the Covid-19 pandemic, it appears that trends have finally shifted in a positive direction. New cases, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping rapidly, and the supply of available vaccine is growing. The country could be well on its way to herd immunity, the point at which enough people are protected against a disease
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The House of Representatives will vote on Friday to approve President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package, a major step toward enacting the first legislative priority of the new administration as the devastating fallout from the spread of Covid-19 has left Americans in dire need of further relief. The package advanced by House Democrats
Continue ReadingAt a McDonald’s drive-thru in a Chicago suburb, customers may notice something different about the voice that takes their orders for Big Macs and fries. “Welcome to McDonald’s, what can I get for you?” it asks in a welcoming, unmistakably feminine tone. While the voice sounds helpful, it’s also stilted and monotonous enough for the
Continue Reading When you visit the doctor, often the first order of business is wrapping a blood pressure cuff around your arm and looking to the display screen for the magic number. What’s that number, you ask? Less than 120 over 80, or 120/80, measured in millimeters per mercury, is what has long been understood as within
Continue Reading You’re mindlessly scrolling on your phone after a long day at work, sifting through miles of negative posts. In what seems like minutes, hours have gone by. Doomscrolling has become a popular word over the past year to describe the habit of mindlessly scrolling through negative news. People lose their perception of time while scrolling
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Dreaming of a four-day work week? This is what happened when one company gave it a go. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Coronavirus President
Continue Reading Republican politicians, media personalities and activists are gathering this weekend in Florida for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, an event that could offer an early window into the party’s 2024 presidential contest while also amplifying false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Former President Donald Trump will be the star of the show
Continue ReadingDrugs typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can help critically ill Covid-19 patients in intensive care units, one new study finds. But experts warn that more research is needed before doctors start using the drugs more widely, because another new study found that one of those drugs did not help patients hospitalized with Covid-19 pneumonia
Continue ReadingJack Ma‘s tech empire may still be facing tough new regulations in China, but Alibaba seems to have won at least a little bit of favor this week from President Xi Jinping. Alibaba was one of hundreds of companies that Xi commended on Thursday during a ceremony intended to bolster his years-long campaign to wipe
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Eight employees of Russia’s Embassy in Pyongyang and their families spent more than 34 hours trying to leave North Korea this week, a grueling trip that ended with at least one diplomat pushing his luggage and young children on a railway trolley into Russian territory. North Korea’s borders have been effectively locked down for months
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John Geddert, who coached the 2012 US Olympic women’s gymnastics team, was found dead Thursday after being charged with 24 felonies in connection with the abuse of young gymnasts, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday. The 63-year-old was facing charges that included human trafficking, criminal sexual conduct and lying to a peace officer, a
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