WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Sept. 9 announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant.
September 9, 2021Coronavirus
Government, Business, Safety 
Bill Oxford/Getty Images
Biden Issues Vaccine Mandate for Private Companies
Bill Oxford/Getty Images Government, Business, Safety 
ollo/Getty Images
Traffic Deaths Rise in Q1 Despite Decline in Miles Traveled
ollo/Getty ImagesRisky driving behaviors that have become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic were the primary contributor to a 10.5% increase in total fatalities during the first quarter of 2021, despite fewer vehicle miles traveled, according to an “early estimates” report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
September 7, 2021 Government, Business 
Shoppers in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. (Juharat Pinyodoonyachet/Bloomberg News)
Consumer Confidence Falls to Six-Month Low on Delta Variant
Shoppers in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. (Juharat Pinyodoonyachet/Bloomberg News)U.S. consumer confidence dropped in August to a six-month low, suggesting concerns over the delta variant and elevated prices are weighing on Americans’ views of the economy now and in the coming months.
August 31, 2021 Business, Safety 
A man receives a vaccine shot at a drive-thru vaccination site in New Orleans. (Bryan Tarnowski/Bloomberg News)
More Companies, States Requiring Vaccines of Workers
A man receives a vaccine shot at a drive-thru vaccination site in New Orleans. (Bryan Tarnowski/Bloomberg News)Vaccine mandates are beginning a march across the U.S., constricting the places that people who have shunned the shots can work, shop and play.
August 25, 2021 Business, Technology, Safety 
300-millimeter silicon wafers at the Bosch plant in Dresden, Germany. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg News)
Chip Shortage Set to Worsen as COVID Rampages Through Malaysia
300-millimeter silicon wafers at the Bosch plant in Dresden, Germany. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg News)The number of COVID-19 infections is surging in Malaysia, threatening to aggravate shortages of semiconductors and other components that have hammered automakers for months.
August 24, 2021 Government, Business, Safety 
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 vaccination program at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg News)
Biden: Companies Should Mandate Vaccine
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 vaccination program at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg News)President Joe Biden said full approval of the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine should clear the way for companies to impose vaccine requirements for employees.
August 23, 2021 Government, Business 
A worker drives a forklift inside a shipping warehouse at the Fiesta Tableware Co. factory in Newell, W.Va. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg News)
Growth at Services, Factories Slows to Eight-Month Low
A worker drives a forklift inside a shipping warehouse at the Fiesta Tableware Co. factory in Newell, W.Va. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg News)U.S. business activity continues to downshift, with growth slowing to an eight-month low in August against a backdrop of materials shortages, a lack of labor and an upswing in coronavirus infections.
August 23, 2021 Government, Business, Logistics 
Containers sit stacked next to gantry cranes as trucks operate at the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in Ningbo, China. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
China’s Port Shutdown Raises Fears of Closures Worldwide
Containers sit stacked next to gantry cranes as trucks operate at the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in Ningbo, China. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)A COVID outbreak that has partially shut one of the world’s busiest container ports is heightening concerns that the rapid spread of the delta variant will lead to a repeat of last year’s shipping nightmares.
August 13, 2021 Government, Business 
Michael Conroy/AP
Jobless Claims Near Pandemic Low as Economy Strengthens
Michael Conroy/APWASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell for a third straight time last week, the latest sign that employers are laying off fewer people as they struggle to fill a record number of open jobs and meet a surge in consumer demand.
August 12, 2021 Government, Business, Fuel 
Gas flares burn from pipes aboard an offshore oil platform in the Persian Gulf's Salman Oil Field. (Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg)
IEA Cuts Oil Demand Outlook on Virus
Gas flares burn from pipes aboard an offshore oil platform in the Persian Gulf's Salman Oil Field. (Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg)The International Energy Agency cut forecasts for global oil demand “sharply” for the rest of this year as the resurgent pandemic hits major consumers, and predicted a new surplus in 2022.
August 12, 2021