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Here’s what you need to know
US property prices recorded the largest six-month drop since 2008. In June, US homes were worth a record $47.7 trillion. By December, they had fallen by almost 5%.
Amazon closed its $3.9 billion deal to buy OneMedical. The announcement was made after the Federal Trade Commission said it wouldn’t block the deal that gives the e-commerce giant a foothold in primary health care.
US regulators released new guidance for labeling dairy alternatives. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised plant-based products to highlight nutritional differences to dairy milk on their packaging.
A winter storm wreaked havoc across the US. More than 1,500 flights were grounded and power outages were reported in the west coast and the midwest.
A journalist and a nine-year-old were shot dead in Florida. The reporter was covering the news of an earlier shooting, and a TV crewmember and the child’s mother were also injured.
Brazil suspended beef exports to China after discovering a case of mad cow disease. Last time such a case was discovered in 2021, it took about three months for trade to resume.
What to watch for
Leaders of the G7 nations will hold an online meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (Feb. 24) in a show of solidarity with the country as it marks one year since Russia invaded.
Zelenskyy is likely to ask for more military equipment, such as fighter jets. It’s an ongoing demand that has been dominating talks with foreign heads of state as Ukraine’s military leaders worry that Russia will launch a major new offensive on the anniversary date.
US president Joe Biden agreed to send tanks to Ukraine last month, but not fighter jets—a position held by other allies such as the UK. In both countries, however, there are growing calls to meet Ukraine’s demand.
At a grassroots level, Ukrainians abroad have organized rallies in 38 countries over Feb. 24-25 to demonstrate continuing support as the war enters its second year.
Charting the US labor movement
You know how the saying goes: United we bargain, divided we beg. US workers seem to be taking the phrase to heart these days. With the rise of labor power during the pandemic, pro-union sentiment in the US has reached record highs, and new data reflects how this changing attitude has translated into action.
A report released on Feb. 21 from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations finds that worker stoppages swelled from 2021 to 2022.
Here’s how the numbers stack up.
We’ve got two other charts for you, breaking down the top industries that are organizing labor actions, and the biggest demands from workers in 2022. Roll up your sleeves, this data is worth digging into.
Science fiction’s getting too sci-fi
Neil Clarke, who founded one of the most renowned science fiction magazines called Clarkesworld, is facing a very sci-fi problem: AI.
The publication lets users submit stories but has recently been inundated with entries written by generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The volume of work being submitted was so severe that it drowned out fiction written by humans, leading Clarke to halt open submissions altogether.
✦ Love stories written by real people? Help keep our content free and accessible by picking up an annual membership. We’re offering 50% off (no robots included).
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Surprising discoveries
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