Business

A Walmart store in Derry, N.H., seen in November 2020. The company says fully vaccinated customers need not wear masks, and vaccinated workers won't need to wear them starting Tuesday. The company won't require proof of status.

Health & Safety

Walmart Drops Mask Mandate Following New CDC Guidelines

7:56pm May 14, 2021

by Dustin Jones

Customers don't have to wear masks, effective immediately. Starting Tuesday, fully vaccinated employees don't either. Everyone's on an honor system and won't have to provide proof.

A bartender mixes a drink inside a bar last week in San Francisco. The latest retail sales data out on Friday showed an increase in sales at restaurants and bars as more people venture out amid the continued reopening of the U.S. economy.

Economy

Americans Dialed Back On Retail Therapy — And Spent More Eating Their Feelings

1:51pm May 14, 2021

by David Gura

Retail sales were flat in April from a month earlier as Americans spent less on things such as clothes or sporting goods but increased their spending at bars and restaurants.

Tia Cunningham says she was able to get out of subsidized housing and use the money as a down payment to buy a house.

Economy

More Cities Are Handing People Cash With No Strings Attached. Here's Why

12:35pm May 14, 2021

by Lily Jamali

Nearly two dozen American cities have signed on to pilot programs that offer basic incomes to low-income residents.

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The majority of anti-vaccine claims on social media trace back to a small number of influential figures, according to researchers.

Health & Safety

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

12:18pm May 14, 2021

by Shannon Bond

The majority of false claims about COVID-19 vaccines on social media trace back to just a handful of influential figures. So why don't the companies just shut them down?

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National

Hours Before Nursing Home Workers Strike, Governor Says Basic Agreement Has Been Met

5:35pm May 13, 2021

by Andrea Hsu

Nearly 3,000 nursing home workers in Connecticut threatened to strike, demanding better pay, benefits and staffing. Hours before they were to walk off the job, the governor announced they had a deal.

A fuel tank is seen at Colonial Pipeline's Linden Junction tank farm in Woodbridge, N.J., on May 10.

National

How To Stop Ransomware Attacks? 1 Proposal Would Prohibit Victims From Paying Up

3:56pm May 13, 2021

by Jason Breslow

The attack on Colonial Pipeline has focused new attention on a potentially radical proposal to stem the growing threat posed by ransomware: making it illegal for victims to pay their attackers.

President Biden urges Americans to "stay strong" as gas supplies start to come back online in a process that may run into next week.

Biden Says 'Help Is On The Way' As Colonial Pipeline Restarts Flow Of Fuel

2:19pm May 13, 2021

by Brian Naylor

The president cautions it will be several days before gas flow is fully restored. He urges consumers not to panic and hoard gasoline while warning gas stations not to gouge prices.

Politics & Government

News Brief: Gas Hoarding, Israeli-Palestinian Violence, Vulnerable Migrants

5:43am May 13, 2021

Amid panic buying, hacked pipeline is restarted. Israeli airstrikes into Gaza continue as Hamas shows no sign of backing down. Some migrants are being granted humanitarian exceptions.

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President Biden alluded to the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack in his new executive order. Here, storage tanks at a Colonial Pipeline facility are seen Wednesday in Avenel, N.J.

In Wake Of Pipeline Hack, Biden Signs Executive Order On Cybersecurity

9:00pm May 12, 2021

by Franco Ordoñez

The order follows a ransomware attack on a company that operates a pipeline that provides nearly half of the gasoline and jet fuel for the East Coast.

Anti-vaccine advocates are using the COVID-19 pandemic to promote books, supplementals and services.

For Some Anti-Vaccine Advocates, Misinformation Is Part Of A Business

8:54pm May 12, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

The coronavirus pandemic has created an opening for vaccine opponents to peddle alternative therapies, unproven cures and website subscriptions.

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