coronavirus pandemic

UC Berkeley professors Zvezdelina Stankova and Mina Aganagic observed declining math proficiency in calculus students, attributing it to UC's post-pandemic standardized test ban. Over 1,400 faculty members signed an open letter demanding reinstatement of test requirements for STEM admissions, citing a UC San Diego report showing 1 in 12 incoming students struggled with middle-school math.

A new survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reveals that food insecurity is affecting more families now than during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, indicating a worsening situation compared to the pandemic's peak.

A popular X account sparked a significant stock rally for X-Fab Silicon Foundries SE, a lesser-known chipmaker, amid worsening semiconductor shortages that are straining automakers and consumer electronics companies. The industry's challenges are complicating the global economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Dandong, a Chinese border city facing North Korea across the Yalu River, shows signs of improved China-North Korea relations through resuming cross-border rail traffic. Freight volumes have increased, and travel agencies report rising inquiries, with the first passenger trains crossing the border since March.

Consumer sentiment in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level since 1952, with stark partisan divides in economic perceptions. Americans express deeper pessimism than during past crises like the Great Inflation, Volcker shock, and Great Recession, despite strong job markets and a booming stock market.

Aimee Bock, former leader of Minnesota charity Feeding Our Future, was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for orchestrating a US$250 million fraud scheme. The charity falsely claimed to provide meals to children during the coronavirus pandemic. The case prompted immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration.