The bad news on inflation just keeps coming. At more than 9% year on year across the rich world, it has not been this high since the 1980s—and there have never been so many “inflation surprises," where the data have come in higher than economists’ forecasts. “Real-time” economic indicators...
COVID-19 Variant BA.4/5 is Sweeping the Globe
The newest Omicron variant, BA.4/5, is gaining traction, causing case, hospitalization, and death curves to trend upwards in many countries. This variant was first detected in South Africa in early 2022. “The BA.4/5 impact is just starting to take hold, with no region of the U.S. at a dominant...
Photos and Video Show Aftermath of the Deadly Afghanistan Earthquake
An earthquake struck Afghanistan Wednesday morning, killing more than 1,000 people in a country already facing dire humanitarian crises. In the eastern province of Paktika, which was hardest-hit by the 5.9 magnitude quake, many awoke to lives forever changed, their homes destroyed, their vehicles buried in rubble, their loved...
Japan Court Upholds Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
A Japanese court has dismissed a lawsuit that argued the country's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The ruling dealt a setback to LGBTQ rights activists in the only Group of Seven nation that does not allow people of the same gender to marry. Japan’s constitution defines marriage as...
Affordable Housing in California Now Routinely Tops $1 Million per Apartment to Build
More than half a dozen affordable housing projects in California are costing more than $1 million per apartment to build, a record-breaking sum that makes it harder to house the growing numbers of low-income Californians who need help paying rent, a review of state data has found. The exorbitant...
Apple Battery Lawsuit: Millions of iPhone Users Could Get Payouts in Legal Action
Millions of iPhone users could be eligible for payouts, following the launch of a legal claim accusing Apple of secretly slowing the performance of older phones. The claim, filed in the UK, alleges the company misled users over an upgrade that it said would enhance performance but, in fact,...
Kinzinger Resurfaces Graham Tweet Warning GOP ‘Will Get Destroyed’ by Trump
Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, resurfaced a tweet Saturday from Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has generally been viewed as an ally of former President Donald Trump, issuing a dire warning about the then-GOP presidential candidate. On Twitter, Kinzinger, one of Trump's harshest conservative critics, retweeted a May 3, 2016...
Americans Support Student Loan Forgiveness, but Would Rather Rein in College Costs
As President Biden inches toward an announcement on federal student loan forgiveness, a new NPR/Ipsos poll has found slightly more than half of Americans support what has been reported to be Biden's likeliest path: forgiving up to $10,000 per person. But an overwhelming majority – including a majority of those with student loans...
Zakaria: It’s Time to Start Thinking About the Endgame in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine brought on by Russia's aggression is most likely in its middle phase, says Fareed Zakaria. In this time, the West must help Ukraine strengthen its position. Kyiv needs more weapons and training. While there are real limits to how much the Ukrainians can absorb, Washington (and...
Ian Bremmer: The Politics of Resentment & How Authoritarian Strongmen Gain Power
In recent years, part of the pushback against globalization has been led by autocrats who reject things like free trade and the liberal international order. For them, globalization means losing control, which they don't like one bit. But the world today remains more interconnected than ever, particularly in cyberspace....