Another 730,000 American workers filed for first-time unemployment benefits, adjusted for seasonal swings, last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That was far fewer than economists had predicted, and a massive 111,000-claim drop from the prior week’s number of applications. The decline was mostly due to sharp drops in applications filed in California and Ohio.…… MORE
As millions struggle to stay afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic, the last purchases on most minds are Louis Vuitton and diamonds. But in a state facing a 6.5% unemployment rate last August, one North Carolina woman allegedly used a $149,000 Covid-19 relief loan to purchase items at businesses including Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, IKEA…… MORE
Wearing masks and other safety precautions are key to stop the spread of Covid-19 during indoor group exercise, according to two new reports published by the US Centers for Disease and Prevention. The two studies, published Wednesday, linked Covid-19 outbreaks over the summer to exercise facilities in Chicago and Honolulu. In the Chicago report, 60%…… MORE
PepsiCo isn’t joining the hard seltzer trend just yet. But it wants to be part of your at-home cocktail experience with a new line of mixers. Neon Zebra, which launches on March 1, comes in four non-alcoholic flavors: citrus-flavored Margarita mix, strawbery-lime-flavored Strawberry Daiquiri mix, lime-mint-flavored Mojito mix and a lemon-flavored Whiskey Sour mix. Each…… MORE
After a quick bout of nerves, Wall Street is ready to restart the party. What’s happening: In testimony before Congress this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reassured lawmakers that the central bank doesn’t plan to raise interest rates or taper bond purchases any time soon. His remarks allowed investors to brush aside their recent…… MORE
Victoria’s Secret is continuing to shrink its store count. Its parent company L Brands announced that it plans to permanently close between 30 to 50 stores in the United States and Canada this year. The reduction comes after it closed 241 stores in 2020, leaving it with 848 stores across the two countries. This time…… MORE
The United States could be just days away from getting a third vaccine approved. In analysis released Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine has met the requirements for emergency use authorization. The efficacy of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot against moderate to severe/critical Covid-19 infection…… MORE
A majority of US adults — nearly six in 10 — say that K-12 schools that are not currently open for in-person learning should wait until all teachers receive the Covid-19 vaccine before they reopen, according to a new survey. Some 59% of adults said schools should wait for teachers to be vaccinated, compared with…… MORE
Nursing was more than a career to Rachel Ellsworth. She says she was “called” to the work. For 10 of her 12 years in nursing, Ellsworth was an indefatigable intensive care nurse. The work energized her, and she felt privileged to witness some of the most important moments of people’s lives, when their worlds shifted…… MORE
To say that Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander shattered multiple glass ceilings is an understatement. The Philadelphia native was the first Black person in the nation to earn a Ph.D. in economics in 1921. Three years later, she earned a law degree and went on to become the first Black woman to pass the Pennsylvania bar…… MORE
