Annalisa Merelli

A growing list of American businesses are severing ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA). But among its partners, arguably the most valuable is still by their side: Oklahoma-based Ackerman McQueen, the NRA’s longterm advertising and PR agency. For decades, this firm has honed the pro-gun narrative, establishing gun rights as a core value for conservative voters and as a pillar of America’s identity.

At 2:19pm EST on Feb. 14, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz got out of his Uber and entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida. At 2:21 pm, he started shooting people on the school grounds, ultimately killing 17.

Yesterday, Donald Trump met with a group of students, teachers, and parents to discuss last week’s school shooting massacre in Parkland, Florida and the uniquely American epidemic of school shootings. Referring to the shootings, Trump asked his guests, “Does anyone have any ideas for how to stop it?”

Single parents—defined as divorced, separated, widowed, or unmarried, non-cohabitating parents—are overwhelmingly women: In the US, 70% of single parent households are headed by a woman. Single fathers are however becoming more common, and while parenting alone is hard for anyone, it looks like being a single father may take the greatest toll.

A deadly attack on the Syrian population began last night. Government-allied forces bombing a rebel-held suburb of Damascus killed at least 100 people, including civilians and children. Hospitals appeared to be the main target of the airstrikes, with five hospitals reportedly hit today, Feb. 20.

The day after Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 in a Florida high school shooting, injuring many more, Donald Trump delivered an address to the nation. In line with his remarks following last year’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, the president didn’t much mention gun violence or gun control—in fact, he didn’t use the word “gun” at all. Trump blamed the tragedy on mental health, although he himself signed last year’s bill to relax vetting of mentally unstable gun purchasers.

Donald Trump will address the United States at 11 am (EST) today, in response to a mass shooting in a Florida high school that left 17 dead. He had reportedly been urged by staff to make a statement in the hours immediately after the Feb. 14 attack, but opted to tweet instead.

Yesterday, hours after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed at least 17 people in a Florida high school, president Donald Trump was reportedly urged by White House staff to make a formal statement. Although he chose to wait until later on Feb. 15 to address the nation, he did soon tweet about the incident.

As Congress debates the fate of America’s DREAMers, a group of far more privileged young immigrants is facing a similar problem: The children of highly skilled foreign professionals.

Every year, Bill and Melinda Gates publish a letter about their philanthropic work, lessons learned, and priorities ahead. This year, their 10th, the couple used their Gates Foundation letter to answer the “toughest” questions that they get asked, ranging from why the couple doesn’t spend more money in US-focused development projects, to why they give so much of their wealth away in the first place.

The latest industry to be upturned by the #MeToo storm? Advertising, a field that has also successfully capitalized on that very movement on behalf of clients.

This winter’s flu has been the worst in the US in quite some time, with record numbers of hospitalizations, ER visits, and deaths. According to the CDC, 9.7% of all US deaths in the first week of February were due to the flu and pneumonia. Fifty-three kids have died from the flu this year. The levels of deaths due to the flu are above the seasonal threshold all over the country.

Donald Trump’s State of the Union address last week was all about unity, but in many ways, America is more fractured than ever—as a new campaign ad from the Illinois governor race amply demonstrates.

Young, rich, and good at math: The Trump administration has a very specific idea of what kinds of immigrants it wants to welcome to the US.

Women in their 30s are used to hearing—from relatives, friends, and the occasional complete stranger—about being in the final stretch of their fertile years. After all, a pregnancy after 35 is, medically speaking, “geriatric.”

It’s not unusual for the US fare to much worse than other rich countries—and at times, middle income ones, too—when it comes to public health metrics.

“The United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world,” said Donald Trump in tonight’s State of the Union address, by way of introducing his plan to curb legal immigration.

As Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first State of the Union (SOTU), he no doubt plans to flaunt his government’s most controversial victories, including tax reform, getting out of the Paris climate-change agreement, rescinding immigration protections for Haitians and Salvadorans, ending DACA and picking up the fight against pot.

The year since Donald Trump and his family walked into the White House has been a rollercoaster ride. In addition to unprecedented conflicts of interest and styles of communication, the US president brought with him an extraordinary succession of characters and world-views.

Ahead of the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which recognized American women’s right to abortion, a different anniversary was celebrated today: The 45th march for life, a gathering of anti-abortion protesters in DC.

The US government announced yesterday that it would open a division for conscience and religious freedom within the federal department of health and human services (HHS). The division works to protect health care practitioners who refuse to perform certain procedures or refuse to treat patients due to their beliefs (ie. ensuring they are not forced by an employer, or lose their jobs when they refuse.)

Almost exactly 45 years ago, the US supreme court recognized the right to abortion as law of the land. But abortion rights never really stopped being under threat.

Aziz Ansari is a comedian and writer who has made a career out of exploring the nuances of love in the 21st century. But he turns out to be an awful date.

If men and women participated equally in the global workplace, we could generate an additional $12 trillion in global economic growth in under a decade. Yet most of the world continues to allow economic discrimination against women, either through law or culture. Considered risk-averse, and yet untrustworthy, women’s ability to access credit is blocked in different ways around the world.