Child-care workers are quitting rapidly, a red flag for economy
The numbers are staggering: The child-care services industry is still down 126,700 workers—more than a 10 percent decline from pre-pandemic levels, Labor Department data shows.
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Biles credits IndyStar for revealing gymnastics abuse. Here’s how it got the story.
The Star’s investment on a single story was especially astonishing at a time when local and regional newspapers around the country have faced shrinking ad revenue or hedge-fund takeovers, some of them closing altogether.
FBI fires agent in Indianapolis office involved in Nassar case
An FBI agent accused of failing to properly investigate former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar—and lying about it later—was fired days before a high-stakes public hearing into the bureau’s flawed investigation of the child sex-abuse case.
Poverty fell overall in 2020 on massive stimulus checks, unemployment aid
After accounting for all the federal relief payments, the so-called supplemental poverty measure declined to 9.1% in 2020—the lowest on record and a significant decline from 11.8% in 2019.
Unvaccinated people 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19, CDC report finds
Three major studies published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight the continued efficacy of all three vaccines amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
TSA doubles fines for refusing to wear masks at airports, other transportation settings
People who refuse to comply with a federal mandate that requires them to wear masks in airports, and on trains, buses and in other public transportation settings will face stiffer penalties from the Transportation Security Agency.
Biden to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for larger U.S. companies
President Joe Biden announced sweeping new COVID vaccine mandates Thursday designed to affect tens of millions of Americans. He also adopted an antagonistic tone toward the unvaccinated Thursday, placing blame on those refusing to get shots for harming other Americans.
Biden expected to order all federal workers to be vaccinated, with no testing option
The pressure on President Biden is increasing as the public health outlook worsens. The seven-day average of coronavirus deaths across the United States was 1,524 as of Wednesday, compared with 509 one month ago
As experts debate boosters, some vaccinated people are calling their own shots
Booster confusion appears to have reached epidemic proportions amid a flood of new scientific studies that are not always consistent with one another. “Fully vaccinated” is suddenly a squishy concept.
EPA details ways climate change could hit U.S. minorities the hardest
A new federal report says racial minorities in the United States can expect more deaths from extreme heat and property loss from flooding.
Hotels throw in the towel on daily cleanings
Daily housekeeping was once a given. Since the onset of the pandemic, hotels of all sizes and price points have been scaling back this service to every few nights and allowing guests to determine the frequency of attention.
Lawsuits say Siri, Google are listening, even when they’re not supposed to
On Thursday, a judge ruled that Apple will have to continue fighting a lawsuit brought by users in federal court, alleging that the company’s voice assistant Siri has improperly recorded private conversations.
Delta variant poised to steal Christmas with empty shelves, long waits, higher prices
Analysts say they expect supply-chain issues to cause widespread shortages, less selection and higher prices for a number of popular holiday gifts, including gaming consoles, TVs, toys and sneakers.
Biden administration ramps up antitrust efforts amid worries about high prices
Senior administration officials have been worried about polling showing that voters—including many Democrats—blame President Biden’s economic policies for high inflation.
Bob Ross documentary on Netflix reveals business disputes, alleged affair
A new Netflix documentary examines the artist’s legacy and the bitter dispute over the continued use of the TV personality’s name and likeness.
More companies weighing penalties for unvaccinated workers
Employers are increasingly moving from luring workers to get their shots to using threats, workplace experts say, frustrated by vaccine holdouts and emboldened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week.
FDA approval of Pfizer shot not swaying some vaccine holdouts
For some unvaccinated Americans, the FDA approval is the latest in a series of actions and appeals that have fallen flat, or further antagonized them.
Inconclusive review of COVID origins prompts calls for more probes
An array of activists, scientists and politicians said Wednesday that the Biden administration’s inconclusive report on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the need for further investigation, even if that leads the United States into delicate geopolitical territory.
Biden appeals to top tech, energy and finance execs to ‘raise the bar on cybersecurity’
The president raised concerns about the shortage of cybersecurity professionals, as the White House estimates roughly half a million cybersecurity jobs remain open, amid an onslaught of cybersecurity attacks.
U.S. probes whether Moderna vaccine linked to higher risk of rare side effect
Federal health officials are investigating emerging reports that the Moderna coronavirus vaccine may be associated with a higher risk of a heart condition called myocarditis in younger adults than previously believed, according to two people familiar with the review.