U.S./World News

China Clamps Down in Hidden Hunt for Virus Origins

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 5:00am
A group claiming to be local villagers use vehicles to block the roads leading to a mine shaft near Danaoshan in southern China’s Yunnan province on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. The mine shaft once harbored bats infected with the closest known relative of the virus that causes COVID-19. (AP)

Mojiang, China – Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harbored bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus.

Final Goodbye: Recalling Influential People Who Died in 2020

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 4:00am
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg poses for a photo in her chambers at the Supreme Court in Washington, before an interview with The Associated Press, July 24, 2013. Ginsburg, 87, developed a cultlike following over her more than 27 years on the bench, especially among young women who appreciated her lifelong, fierce defense of women’s rights. She died Sept. 18, 2020. (AP)

In a year defined by a devastating pandemic, the world lost iconic defenders of civil rights, great athletes and entertainers who helped define their genres.

Coronavirus, Policing Topped 2020 Issues in Statehouses

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 3:00am

Responses to the coronavirus pandemic and police brutality dominated legislative sessions in 2020, leading to scores of new laws that are taking effect in the new year.

Virus-related laws include those offering help to essential workers, boosting unemployment benefits and requiring time off for sick employees. A resolution in Alabama formally encouraged fist-bumping over handshakes.

3 Vague New Year's Financial Resolutions You Should Avoid

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 2:00am

As we close out 2020 and enter 2021, most of us are anxiously awaiting a happier year ahead. Traditionally, we mark the fresh calendar year with New Year’s resolutions to keep us hopeful and motivated – particularly when it comes to our finances.

Coronavirus Transformed Restaurants, Retail Economies

Published by Nikki Ratay on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 5:00am
Teo Perez, from left, works in the kitchen with Jorge Morales and Jaime Hernandez at Brenda's French Soul Food in San Francisco, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (AP)

New York – It was going to be just a temporary precaution.

When the viral pandemic erupted in March, employees of the small insurance firm Thimble fled their Manhattan offices. CEO Jay Bregman planned to call them back soon – as soon as New York was safe again.

From Zoom to Quibi, Surveying Tech Winners, Losers of 2020

Published by Nikki Ratay on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 4:00am
A woman wearing a face mask takes a virtual reality ride in a hot air balloon at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2020. (AP)

We streamed, we Zoomed, we ordered groceries and houseplants online, we created virtual villages while navigating laptop shortages to work and learn from home. In many ways, 2020’s pandemic-induced isolation threw our dependence on technology into overdrive, snipping away at our real-life connections while bringing digital relationships to the fore.

As Small Businesses Await New Aid, It’s Too Late for Some

Published by Nikki Ratay on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 2:00am
This Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, photo shows a line of empty chairs bearing the names of workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, outside Crumbs restaurant in Danville, Calif. (AP)

New York – Clay Reynolds is starting to make peace with a gut-wrenching reality: He may have to once again close his business, Arrichion Hot Yoga and Circuit Training.

New Los Angeles DA Ends Cash Bail for Many Offenses

Published by Nikki Ratay on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 1:00am

Los Angeles – New Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, seeking to revamp the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office with progressive policies, said after taking office that cash bail will be ended for many offenses and sentences in thousands of cases will be reevaluated.

Trump’s Impact on Courts to Last Long Beyond His Term

Published by Nikki Ratay on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 4:00am

Washington – On this, even President Donald Trump’s most fevered critics agree: He has left a deep imprint on the federal courts that will outlast his one term in office for decades to come.

Trump Reluctantly Signs COVID-19 Aid, Sparks GOP Fight

Published by Nikki Ratay on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 3:00am

Washington – Shelving his objections, President Donald Trump has signed a $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 and annual federal spending package providing relief for millions of Americans, even as Congress returns to confront the White House on remaining priorities in a rare end-of-session showdown.

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