A New Covid-19 Experiment From Asia: Letting Companies Buy Vaccines
With vaccinations lagging in the world’s fourth most-populous country, the government has authorized an unusual approach: allowing private companies to...
Infectious Diseases
China Sets 2021 GDP Growth Target at Over 6%
BEIJING—Chinese leaders said they would target gross domestic product growth of 6% or more this year, a relatively modest goal...
Senate Advances Democrats’ Covid-19 Aid Bill
Republicans can’t block Democrats from passing the legislation, but they are planning to drag out the timeline. Sen. Ron Johnson...
U.S. National Debt Is Likely to Reach a Record 202% of GDP by 2051, CBO Projects
A sign displaying the size of the national debt in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 2020. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Associated Press...
Starbucks, Target Among Companies to Still Mandate Masks in Texas Despite Lift on Covid-19 Restrictions
Some of the biggest U.S. retail, theater, hotel and restaurant chains say they will continue mandating masks and limiting capacity...
Democrats to Change Eligibility for Direct Payments in Covid-19 Aid Bill
WASHINGTON—Centrist Senate Democrats were expected to secure a modest change to the $1.9 trillion relief package Wednesday, tightening eligibility for...
Biden Expects U.S. to Have Covid-19 Vaccines for All Adults by End of May
President Biden said the U.S. would have enough Covid-19 vaccines for all American adults by the end of May, two...
Senate Democrats Iron Out Details on Covid-19 Aid Package
WASHINGTON—Senate Democrats sought to bridge differences over jobless benefits, aid for state and local governments and $1,400 direct payments as...
J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Authorized for Use in U.S.
The first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, a shot from Johnson & Johnson, JNJ -2.64% was authorized for use, a big boost...
J&J Single-Dose Covid-19 Vaccine Gets Review From FDA Advisory Panel
A committee of independent medical experts convenes Friday to review Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ 0.10% Covid-19 single-dose vaccine, the final...
Democrats Dealt Blow on Minimum-Wage Drive for Covid-19 Bill
The parliamentarian, the neutral arbiter of the chamber’s rules, issued guidance saying she thought it didn’t meet the guidelines for...
Pfizer and BioNTech Studying Third Covid-19 Vaccine Dose to Fight New Strains
Pfizer Inc. PFE -0.47% and BioNTech SE BNTX 1.96% have begun a study testing in people whether the companies’ Covid-19...
Home Depot, Macy’s Expect Pandemic Trends to Continue, for Now
Home Depot Inc. and Macy’s Inc. said pandemic-fueled shopping trends have continued into 2021, driving demand for home improvements and...
Travel’s Covid-19 Blues Are Likely Here to Stay—‘People Will Go Out of Business’
The pandemic travel bust that hit tourism-dependent economies may only just be beginning. Tourist destinations from Thailand to Iceland had...
Without Tourists to Put to Work, Australia’s Farms Are Short on Labor
SYDNEY—To harvest red papaya in northern Australia’s tropical heat, farmer Paul Fagg has long drawn on an unusual labor pool...
Elon Musk Got 4,000 SpaceX Workers to Join a Covid-19 Study. Here’s What He Learned.
When Covid-19 shut down the U.S. economy in March, Elon Musk had a rocket to launch. The billionaire’s space exploration...
The New Disney CEO’s Covid Strategy Leans on Streaming Hits Like ‘WandaVision’
Two decades before Bob Chapek was named chief executive of Walt Disney Co. , he identified an unlikely cash gusher:...
Some Covid-19 Vaccines Are Effective After One Dose, Can Be Stored in Normal Freezers, Data Show
Efforts to vaccinate the world’s population against Covid-19 got a boost Friday after research showed that some vaccines provide strong,...
Global Services Economy Moving at Two Speeds as Factories Thrive
U.S. services companies reported increased activity during February, aided by demand for new business, while service-sector firms in Europe and...
Ban on New Foreign Workers Left U.S. Jobs Unfilled, Even in Covid Downturn
The U.S. closed the door to nearly all incoming foreign workers last year. The causes were Covid-19 restrictions that locked...
