A Little Extra News You Can Use

Many people are angry that the Netherlands has imposed a new curfew to contain the spread of COVID-19 and new variants of the coronavirus.

The measure is part of President Biden's promised push to boost U.S. manufacturing, and continues his efforts to sign a slew of executive actions during his first days in office.

At issue is whether the new administration should reverse course in cases where the Trump administration outlined a legal position. But the justices do not look kindly on the government flip-flopping.

Many senior citizens entered their golden years with more debt than previous generations, and now they're struggling financially as they try to provide care for an ailing relative during the pandemic.

The trial itself will begin on Feb. 9, giving the Democratic House impeachment managers and Trump's defense team two weeks to file briefs and finalize their legal preparations.

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, doctors say it's long past time to address the exclusion of pregnant women from research on drugs and vaccines. They say better study design is the answer.

Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black people nationwide. The majority of officers were white and for at least 15 of them, the shootings were not their first or last.

Newly discovered variants of COVID-19 in South Africa and Brazil could make the virus more infectious and may decrease the efficacy of vaccines.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador said his symptoms are mild. The Mexican leader has resisted lockdowns and repeatedly dismissed the health risks posed by the virus.

Tens of thousands took to the streets across Russia, sharing photos and videos on social media faster than they could be removed, urging others to join.

The devastating news comes almost one year to the day after the first case of the virus was detected in the country and as officials warn that the situation will only grow worse before it gets better.

The workers became trapped on Jan. 10 following an unexplained explosion at a gold mine in the eastern province of Shandong. One miner has died and another 10 remain missing.

A 56-year-old woman who had traveled to Spain and the Netherlands for work late last year has tested positive for the coronavirus. It's New Zealand's first probable community transmission in months.

Only two other presidents since 1900 – George W. and George H.W. Bush – granted fewer acts of clemency than Trump. The post Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Kamala Harris’ election represented an advance in the progress Black Americans have made in recent decades in political leadership. The post Black Americans have made gains in U.S. political leadership, but gaps remain appeared first on Pew Research Center.

43% of those who report experiencing harassing behavior online say that they consider their most recent experience to be “online harassment.” The post Some Americans who have been targeted by troubling behaviors online wouldn’t call it ‘harassment’ appeared first on Pew Research Center.

No lame-duck session in the nearly 5 decades for which data is available has been as legislatively productive as that of the 116th Congress. The post Nothing lame about this lame duck: 116th Congress had busiest post-election session in recent history appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Although Catholicism has long been one of the largest U.S. religious groups, John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden are the only Catholic presidents. The post Biden is only the second Catholic president, but nearly all have been Christians appeared first on Pew Research Center.

The 9-point fall in approval was the largest change between two Pew Research Center polls since Donald Trump took office. The post How we know the drop in Trump’s approval rating in January reflected a real shift in public opinion appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Following the passage of a second stimulus package in December, 79% of U.S. adults say another economic assistance package will be necessary. The post Most Americans say another round of COVID-19 economic relief will be needed appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Majorities in all three countries said in a fall 2020 survey that the U.S. system needs either major changes or to be completely reformed. The post Even before Capitol riot, most people in Germany, France and the UK had concerns about U.S. political system appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Social media activity by members of Congress changed in notable ways following the rioting at the Capitol by supporters of President Trump. The post How lawmakers’ social media activity changed in the days after the U.S. Capitol riot appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Women make up just over a quarter of all members of the 117th Congress – the highest percentage in U.S. history. The post A record number of women are serving in the 117th Congress appeared first on Pew Research Center.

The actress explains why she has a "no nudity clause" written into her movie contracts.

The discovery comes a day after 11 miners were rescued after two weeks trapped underground.

Billionaires' wealth has soared while the pandemic has plunged millions into poverty, Oxfam says.

A number were hurt in the incident several days ago at Naku La in Sikkim, Indian media say.

Soldiers prevented him leaving his house in case he organised protests against disputed elections.

EU foreign ministers meet to discuss Russia's treatment of Alexei Navalny and his supporters.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to clear protesters in Eindhoven opposed to a new curfew.

Both the band and their audience were inside individual inflatable bubbles.

Photographer George Logan highlights the decline of wild lions using conceptual images.

South Korean reports say that Run Hyun-woo - an acting ambassador - fled to South Korea in September.

Xi Jinping hasn’t just cracked down on private business—he is targeting individual entrepreneurs themselves.

The post-Trump GOP is far more likely to put its differences aside than to split.

Republicans now face a choice between their long-term interests and short-term self-preservation.

After growing up in a family that never lied, I spent decades being off-puttingly truthful.

A poem for Sunday

“You can understand the predator wanting to be near the prey, but not really the other way around.”

Older Americans receive generous benefits, but the immigrants who support them receive little from the government.

A bioethics expert on the moral questions facing our vaccine rollouts.

The best shows of the 45th presidency captured the essence of an unprecedented leader by seeing past his act.

Could a truth and reconciliation commission help the country heal?

“President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order to reverse a Pentagon policy that largely bars transgender individuals from joining the military, dumping a ban ordered by President […]

Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will announce her run for governor of Arkansas on Monday, Politico reports.

“Federal law enforcement officials are examining a number of threats aimed at members of Congress as the second trial of former President Donald Trump nears, including ominous chatter about killing […]

“Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump,” CNN reports.

New York Times: “The 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment are already facing a fleet of primary challengers, censures and other rebukes from their hometown Republican Party organizations, an […]

Dr. Deborah Birx, the former White House coronavirus response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, revealed that she had no full-time team in the White House working on the response […]

“Former President Donald Trump’s upcoming Senate impeachment trial poses a security concern that federal law enforcement officials told lawmakers last week requires as many as 5,000 National Guard troops to […]

“In his last weeks in office, former President Trump considered moving to replace the acting attorney general with another official ready to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and he […]

“Former president Donald Trump threw himself back into politics this weekend by publicly endorsing a devoted and divisive acolyte in Arizona who has embraced his false election conspiracy theories and […]

“While it’s only 2021, a major question facing Democrats this year and next will be what to do about the presidential nominating calendar and whether Iowa, in particular, should retain […]

Today, the U.S. Senate will receive the article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection. But the actual trial won't start for another two weeks. Why the delay? Logistics continue to be a challenge in the fight against the coronavirus. Only about half of the vaccines that have been distributed have […]

What will happen to Fox News after President Trump leaves office? Fox News is facing Trump's anger for not being sufficiently "loyal," and it's seeing new competition as viewers head to conservative networks like Newsmax and One America News Network. In this bonus episode brought to you by NPR's It's Been a Minute with Sam […]

President Biden faces major challenges, from the coronavirus to unemployment, all of which threaten to imperil the nation as well as his nascent presidency. When it comes to COVID-19, can the new administration's rhetoric translate into action? It was one year ago when Wuhan, China plunged into a 72-day lockdown to stop the spread of […]

President Biden wants 100 million coronavirus vaccinations in his first 100 days. But Pfizer and Moderna have fallen behind in their production. Jobs numbers show another 1.3 million Americans are out of work. So why are economists optimistic? And about half of the country's students are attending class remotely. President Biden wants to change that […]

President Biden's top priority is getting the pandemic under control. What do his first executive actions tell us about how he plans to do that? Biden also released a sweeping reform bill to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. And in 35 states, coronavirus numbers are falling. Researchers believe the U.S. has hit a peak in […]

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump leave the White House. Trump delivers brief remarks at Joint Base Andrews.

Government responses to Capitol rioters must be research-based and not just emotional reactions.

Longtime pollster Frank Luntz despaired over the state of the American media ecosystem during an appearance Sunday on FNC's

The new Senate majority leader faces a

What if they held a GOP civil war and nobody came?

Warm weather, low taxes, and a mayor ready to nurse their grievances about Bay Area liberalism.

California is conducting an immense sociological experiment, testing whether reducing prison time for criminal acts will, in the long run, mean less crime.

Four years ago, Lilliana Mason learned something she really, really hoped wasn’t true. A political scientist who studies Americans’ attitudes about politics and each other, she had long known that the citizens of this country were growing increasingly resentful and distrustful of the people we saw as our political opponents.But it’s one thing to not […]

In baseball, every year is an election year. On Tuesday at 6 p.m. EST, we’ll learn which players will be honored with induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer (hopefully with an in-person ceremony in the Hall’s hometown of Cooperstown, New York). But unfortunately for the 25 stars studding this year’s ballot, it’s […]

Henry “Hank” Aaron, who died Friday at the age of 86, was a Hall of Famer’s Hall of Famer. He reached international renown in 1974 by breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run mark, which had stood unchallenged for four decades, but that was just the crowning achievement of a career that spanned 23 years and […]

The list of NBA MVPs over the past five years is a mishmash of guys with superhero-level talents. Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter on the planet and someone who’s comfortable gunning from nearby ZIP codes. Russell Westbrook, the terrifyingly athletic stat-stuffer who seems to hurt innocent rims for no apparent reason. James Harden, the efficiency […]

Welcome to The Riddler. Every week, I offer up problems related to the things we hold dear around here: math, logic and probability. Two puzzles are presented each week: the Riddler Express for those of you who want something bite-size and the Riddler Classic for those of you in the slow-puzzle movement. Submit a correct […]

Late in the fourth quarter of the divisional playoff against the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid was faced with a decision: punt the ball and hope that his defense would hold, or attempt to seal the victory by going for it on fourth-and-inches. If Reid’s all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes had not left […]

If you took one look at the Facebook group Vaccines Exposed, it seemed clear what it was all about. It was “a group opposed to deadly vaccinations,” with over 13,000 members on a platform known to harbor anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. Some of its followers’ recent posts included a video falsely claiming the COVID-19 vaccine will […]

The final four playoff quarterbacks may have been born in three different decades, but they do have a few things in common. Their offenses represent four of the top five teams in overall expected points added (EPA) per play and EPA per dropback, according to the nflfastR model, which aligns neatly with the ProFootballFocus claim […]

One of Donald Trump’s last significant actions as president was to issue a raft of pardons and commutations. With less than 12 hours left in the White House, he granted executive clemency to more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, who was charged in 2020 with defrauding donors as part of […]

Chad Henne was the unlikeliest of NFL playoff heroes last week. The Kansas City Chiefs’ backup quarterback had run for just 19 net yards since 2014. Yet on a critical late-game third-down against the Cleveland Browns, Henne somehow scrambled for 13 of the 14 yards he needed to convert. Then, in the middle of color […]