COVID-19 pandemic

FBI Director Christopher Wray has confirmed that the bureau assessed the COVID-19 pandemic likely resulted from a lab incident in Wuhan, China. “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origin of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray told Fox News host Bret Baier in an […]

Thousands of federal workers applied for and received COVID-19-related unemployment benefits and continued getting their regular paychecks during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who’s calling for a federal investigation to identify the offenders and recover the tax dollars improperly paid to them. “Staff from numerous government agencies, including the IRS, TSA […]

Several experts say now is not the right time to declare the end of the COVID-19 pandemic’s emergency phase—because of China.

A new unclassified report (pdf) released by Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee alleges that COVID-19 “may have been tied” to China’s biological weapons research program. Released on Dec. 14 by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and other Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), the minority report states that “there are […]

A new supply chain crisis is averted. Union workers will now vote on a tentative deal with rail companies. Former President Donald Trump is warning of “big problems” if he’s indicted. He also shares how such a development could affect whether he runs for president again. A new report says that the flow of illegal […]

Summer travelers are facing mounting flight cancellations, delays, and other chaos at airports across the globe. The aviation industry is still trying to rebuild staff levels following the COVID-19 pandemic. A former FAA official explains the situation.

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, indicating a further tightening of labor market conditions heading into the second quarter, which could contribute to keeping inflation elevated. Part of the decline in claims back to a more than 53-year low touched in mid-March reflected a revision of the seasonal […]

Now we have an update on the opioid crisis gripping the nation. In Wisconsin, Eau Claire County is set to receive a settlement of over $3 million. It’s part of a nationwide settlement against opioid producers. NTD spoke with Doctor Paul Christo to learn more about the opioid crisis. He’s a professor at Johns Hopkins […]

We’re two years into the COVID-19 pandemic—and people are asking health experts when does it end? Some are also wondering if the pandemic will downgrade to an endemic this year. The WHO says the end isn’t even close.

The prime minister apologises for attending drinks at Downing Street during lockdown. Among those calling for him to resign is Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. When will the pandemic end? We ask the experts, who say COVID-19 may soon become part of life like the common cold. Tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic admits making a mistake […]

It’s now clear that COVID-19 isn’t going away. As we recently learned from Dr. Paul Alexander, the vaccines we have aren’t stopping the chain of transmission, so they can never extinguish the pandemic. New variants will keep emerging and there will be seasonal ebbs and flows of the disease. Yet for nearly 2 years, the […]

Current COVID-19 policies in the United States and many other countries are based on one main premise: We must vaccinate 100% of the population, including children, for the pandemic to end. But what assumptions lie behind this objective and is the science sound? We explore the answers to these fundamental questions with Dr. Paul Alexander, […]

NEW YORK—Crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returned Thursday in full, though with precautions. Balloons, floats, marching bands, clowns and performers—and, of course, Santa Claus—once again wended though 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) of Manhattan streets, instead of being confined to one block or sometimes pre-taped last year. Spectators, […]

Hiring difficulties may be on the horizon for U.S. firms amid a weak labor supply, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s latest jobs report. The bureau’s October jobs report, released Nov. 5 showed employers added over half a million jobs in October, beating market expectations and painting a more positive picture of labor market recovery compared to […]

In October 2020, a joint inquiry into the handling of the pandemic was established by the Science and Technology Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee. They assessed areas including pandemic preparedness and the deployment of lockdowns. Tuesday morning, the two committees released their 145-page report.  

The White House on Friday announced a plan costing over $65 billion to handle future pandemics.

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA—U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least June 21, the U.S. and Canadian governments said on Thursday. The restrictions were first imposed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been extended in 30-day increments. U.S lawmakers in northern border states have urged […]