The U.S. currency could be weakened as soon as the vaccine begins to ship.

Theories about a COVID-19 baby boom have gone bust. Research finds that not only will the U.S. lack an explosion of births, but fewer children will be born. Theories about a COVID-19 baby boom have gone bust. Read Full Story

The pandemic has hit budgets so hard that even cities in relatively good financial health face an uncertain future. U.S. cities are fast running out of cash. Read Full Story

The biggest design feats of COVID-19 are medical devices that can be Frankensteined together with the parts that are available—not necessarily the parts you want. We thought that talk of ventilator shortages was done in the U.S., that we’d powered through peak demand from COVID-19 patients with some clever hacks . Now in places like Houston , where COVID-19 is spiking while hospitals reach capacity, that might not be the case. Ventilator shortages are a real issue that still lingers not just in parts of the U.S., but across 10 African countries , too. Read Full Story

While COVID-19 tests are universally welcomed, CRISPR’s other uses have met resistance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Emergency Use Authorization to a COVID-19 test that uses the controversial gene-editing technology CRISPR. Read Full Story

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration says that certain hand sanitizers might contain methanol or other toxic forms of alcohol. Although hand sanitizers have been one of the most used products to combat COVID-19, certain sanitizers might be dangerous, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Read Full Story

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced anti-doping groups to get creative. Here’s a new addition to the list of things happening at home during the COVID-19 pandemic: doping tests for professional athletes. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is now exploring in-home drug tests with a pilot program of 15 volunteers. Read Full Story

The number of billionaires in the world is at a record high, and the U.S. is home to more than any other country. The number of billionaires in the world—2,825 individuals, with a combined wealth of $9.4 trillion in 2019—is at a record high, and more live in the U.S. than any other country. And, despite the economic fallout of COVID-19, the number of billionaires in certain business sectors continues to grow. Read Full Story

If you’re considering a trip to visit friends or family, this map can help you understand where COVID-19 rates are rising. Just how risky is it to travel for the holidays this year? With rising rates of COVID-19, many experts are recommending a moratorium on holiday gatherings. But for those who are trying to decide whether they still want to travel, smart-thermometer company Kinsa has created predictive COVID-19 risk scores for every county in the U.S. Read Full Story

The laughing and finger-pointing during Monday’s Kentucky Senate debate between Mitch McConnell and Amy McGrath illustrates why stimulus negotiations stalled. Americans need money to live. Read Full Story