The U.S. government funded a significant portion of the R&D behind the Moderna vaccine. Peter Endig/picture alliance via Getty ImagesA quiet monthslong legal fight between the U.S. National Institutes of Health and drugmaker Moderna over COVID-19 vaccine patents recently burst into public view.
Ships with everything.
Shutterstock/Dilok KlaisatapornChina’s dominance in manufacturing has made it the factory of the world. The subsequent economic growth enriched an ever-expanding middle class, and the country’s retail industry has quickly adapted to supply a growing appetite for consumption.
Elena Eryomenko / ShutterstockPaella – the iconic Valencian rice dish made with fish, meat or vegetables – has been officially recognised for its cultural importance.
Young workers have been quicker to adapt. Wayas Saeed/Unsplash, CC BY-SAGovernments had to take unprecedented measures to control the spread of the COVID pandemic, shutting down whole sectors and encouraging many people to work from home. The UK and other countries designed whole new systems of support for workers from scratch and deployed them in a matter of weeks.
A collapsed bridge in Atlanta in 2017 backed up traffic for a month. AP Photo/David GoldmanThe American economy is underpinned by networks.
Employers are having a harder time recruiting new workers. AP Photo/Marta LavandierFinding good employees has always been a challenge - but these days it’s harder than ever. And it is unlikely to improve anytime soon.
shutterstock In China, if you are female, educated and unmarried by the age of 27, people might use a particular term – “Sheng-nu” – to describe your social status. It translates simply as “leftover women”.
Safe as houses? iQonceptCryptocurrencies have had an exceptional year, reaching a combined value of more than US$3 trillion (£2.2 trillion) for the first time in November. The market seems to have benefited from the public having time on their hands during pandemic lockdowns.
The pandemic has made the affordable housing crisis a lot worse, in part by increasing the rate of evictions. AP Photo/Jeff RobersonEven before 2020, the U.S. faced an acute housing affordability crisis.
