Five classic kitchen design choices that will stand the test of time
If any room in our homes got a workout last year, it was the kitchen. Cooking and baking were popular for both practical and relaxing reasons.
The Washington Post
Articles
Alphabet workers launch unconventional union
It’s the latest organizing effort by tech workers, who have gone public with frustrations over what they say are unfair labor practices and unethical business deals in recent years.
Easier-to-spread COVID variant in U.S. amps up vaccine urgency
Viruses have the opportunity to change through mutations that arise naturally as they replicate and circulate in their hosts. The new COVID-19 strain is thought to be 57% to 70% more transmissible than other strains of the virus.
Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate vote in his favor
President Donald Trump urged fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, to “find” enough votes to overturn his defeat in an extraordinary one-hour phone call Saturday that legal scholars described as a flagrant abuse of power and a potential criminal act.
Recipe: Let these chocolate cups filled with cannoli cream be the sweet start to a new year
Accented with mint leaves and showered with confectioners’ sugar, it’s a dessert that has the sparkle and elegance to match a glass of bubbly and set just the right mood for watching the ball drop.
In a challenging, exhausting year, the garden has been a lifeline
If ever a home garden—vegetable or ornamental—was needed, it was this year. It became a place to spend time, safely, with others; to supplement the table; to replace the lost travel destinations; and to provide kids with an alternative to the computer screen.
Six ways your office will be different in 2021, assuming you ever go back to it
Human resources advisers, workplace designers, employment lawyers and compensation analysts share predictions for a year that could bring back some normalcy while returning people to workplaces that may never be the same.
Luke Letlow, 41-year-old congressman-elect, dies of COVID-19
Letlow is the highest-ranking U.S. politician to die of COVID-19, which has now killed more than 337,000 Americans.
First case of more transmissible coronavirus variant detected in Colorado
Researchers have now detected the more transmissible variant in at least 17 countries outside the United Kingdom, including as far away as Australia and South Korea, as of Tuesday afternoon. Officials in Canada had said they had identified two cases.
McConnell blocks Dems’ initial attempt to OK $2,000 checks amid growing pressure on GOP
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s move was just the beginning of a saga that is likely to engulf the Senate for the rest of the week. Democrats are pushing for an up-or-down vote on the House bill, while more Republicans see a need for larger stimulus checks.
Treasury to start sending pandemic relief checks by end of week
The Treasury Department is able to move more swiftly than usual to deposit checks for as much as $600 into Americans’ bank accounts as a result of its earlier work this spring, when it disbursed larger sums under an earlier stimulus program.
COVID-19 surge sidelines health workers when they’re needed most
More than 118,000 people—roughly equivalent to the population of Lansing, Michigan—have been in hospitals with COVID on average over the past seven days. That’s a record, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.
TSA sees highest number of airport passengers screened since pandemic started
The Transportation Security Administration said it screened 1.28 million people Sunday at airport security checkpoints across the country.
Some employees itching to work somewhere other than home; others love it
Employees now working remotely find themselves imagining the new shape of their work lives in a post-pandemic America. Some glimpse a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel; others see an oncoming train.
Trump signs $900B stimulus measure, extending unemployment and averting shutdown
The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.
Mortgage rates slide to historic lows for third time this month
The 30-year fixed-rate average, the most popular mortgage product, sank to 2.66% with an average 0.7 point, according to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac.
‘Trickle-down’ tax cuts make rich richer but don’t boost economy, study finds
The authors say their findings offer one clear pathway for policymakers looking to dig their way out of the financial hole created by the coronavirus crisis: Make the rich pay for it.
Jobless claims remain high, raising stakes for Trump’s demands on relief bill
If Trump does not sign the $900 billion stimulus package, 12 million Americans will lose unemployment aid after Christmas.
Trump calls for $2,000 stimulus checks, hints he might not sign $900B relief bill
In a video posted to Twitter, the president called the $600 checks authorized by the bill “ridiculously low” and complained about a list of provisions that he described as “wasteful spending and much more.”
Justice Department sues Walmart, says it helped fuel opioid crisis
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the Justice Department, says the nation’s largest retailer did not properly screen prescriptions at its 5,000 pharmacies. The agency is seeking civil penalties that could total billions of dollars.