Courtney Vinopal

Economics has become a key issue in what could be the most consequential abortion case in nearly 50 years.

The covid-19 omicron variant is officially circulating in the US. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said today (Dec. 1) US officials confirmed the first case of covid-19 caused by the omicron variant, which was first reported in southern Africa last week.

As a new variant of the coronavirus spreads throughout the world, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is stressing that expanding vaccination to the global population is key to a sustained recovery—and it would cost just a fraction of what the world’s wealthiest countries have spent to prop up their economies.

Online sales continued to slump on the Monday after Thanksgiving, so-called Cyber Monday, as US consumers spent less over the holiday weekend than they did the previous year.

The island of Barbados officially severed ties with the British monarchy today (Nov. 30), removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state nearly 400 years after English settlers first arrived to the Caribbean nation.

Online sales dipped slightly for the first time since at least 2012 this Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day, as consumers shopped earlier in the month amid ongoing supply chain issues, according to data from Adobe Analytics. Discounts on so-called cyber Monday (Nov. 29) are also expected to be weaker this year compared to 2020, but the firm projects online sales could outpace the previous year.

A new covid-19 variant called “omicron” entered the global lexicon over the weekend. The variant spooked the markets after its existence was reported on Nov. 26 and prompted governments to ban travel from a number of countries in southern Africa, where it was first detected.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon made an offhand remark about China yesterday (Nov. 23) he soon came to regret. “We hope to be there for a long time,” he said of the country during a panel event at the Boston College Chief Executives Club. “The Communist Party is celebrating its 100th year. So is JPMorgan. And I’ll make you a bet we last longer.”

CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart are liable for contributing to the US opioid epidemic by distributing millions of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal jury in Cleveland found today (Nov. 23). It’s the first time pharmacy companies have faced legal consequences for their role in a public health crisis that continues to account for the majority of overdose deaths in the US. Opioids killed 74,000 Americans last year alone.

US president Joe Biden announced today (Nov. 23) that the Department of Energy will release 50 million barrels of oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to tamp down rising gas prices. It’s one of the largest-ever releases from the reserve, which is typically used to calm markets during moments of crisis driven by events such as war or climate disasters.

Target announced today (Nov. 22) that it’s putting a permanent end to what had previously been a beloved holiday tradition for some shoppers: Getting a head start on Black Friday shopping by showing up to the store on Thanksgiving.

US president Joe Biden will nominate Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell for a second term, ending months of speculation about whether the White House would take a different tack by selecting someone else to run the nation’s central bank.

Johnson & Johnson is breaking up. The company announced today (Nov. 12) it plans to separate its pharmaceutical and medical device businesses from its consumer products division in order to “pursue more targeted business strategies and accelerate growth.”

US gas prices are the highest they’ve been in seven years, and many Americans are looking to president Joe Biden for answers. In recent months Biden has been blamed by some of his Republican opponents for the price hikes, which are also contributing to historically high levels of inflation. But Biden has little to do with the forces causing gas prices to rise, and the White House can only do so much to tame the market.

The window of time when American home buyers can jump on potential properties is more narrow than ever given the record pace of home sales, according to a new report released today (Nov. 11) by the National Association of Realtors.

Electric vehicle (EV) startup Rivian’s stock began trading at $106.75 per share today (Nov. 10), higher than the company’s previously expected price of $78. Its debut put Rivian’s valuation at $85.9 billion, surpassing the market caps of both Ford and General Motors.

US inflation rose by 6.2% in October compared to 2020, the highest annual increase in 31 years, according to the latest Consumer Price Index released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today (Nov. 10). Price hikes for everyday items such as gas, beef, and rent helped drive the surge, along with used cars, because new vehicles are caught up in the supply chain crisis.

General Electric announced yesterday (Nov. 9) it will separate into three businesses focused on aviation, healthcare, and energy. The move signals the end of an era for a conglomerate that grew its market value from $15 billion to $594 billion in the 1980s and 1990s by diversifying its portfolio, only to see this same strategy fall short in recent decades.

Electric vehicle startup Rivian priced its initial public offering today (Nov. 9), marking one of the most highly anticipated stock market debuts of the year. The company, which makes electric trucks, has yet to turn a profit but was nevertheless valued at $64 billion ahead of its IPO, rivaling well-established car brands on the market like Honda.

Nuclear fusion always appears just a few decades away from commercial viability. Refining the atomic reaction to generate more energy has foiled scientists for generations. Fusion, which occurs when two positively-charged nuclei merge, takes an immense amount of energy to produce in reactors, but only returns a fraction of that energy to create electricity.

Cadillac dealers must quickly wean themselves off gas-powered vehicles

Mental healthcare providers with Kaiser Permanente have concerns. Working conditions and staffing shortages, they say, have left them unable to properly care for patients at a time when demand for their services is rising. With the backing of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), a group of 51 Kaiser mental health clinicians in Maui, Hawaii voted on Nov. 2 to authorize a strike against the healthcare company.

Americans are hopping off their stationary bikes and getting back into the world after a year of at-home workouts—at least that’s what Peloton’s latest earnings suggest.

Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg, Germany plant has withstood decades of change. The automakers’ headquarters were originally commissioned by Adolf Hitler and converted into a Nazi armaments factory before being liberated by US troops in 1945. The plant went on to embody the transformation of the automotive industry, producing more than 46 million vehicles over the years, including VW’s famous Beetle car.