California
Federal stimulus checks must go to prison inmates, U.S. judge in California rules
After months of confusion, a federal judge in California has ruled the IRS must give stimulus checks to more than 2 million prison inmates nationwide.
Opinion
Op-Ed: How COVID-19 caused the U.S. to implement universal healthcare
As one of the most unassuming side effects of the coronavirus, the U.S., for the first time in its history, set up a system of universal healthcare.
L.A.'s new firefighting robot is the first of its kind in the U.S. — and can go where humans can’t
With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant.
Science
U.S. deaths are about 300,000 higher than expected since the coronavirus arrived
The U.S. has experienced about 300,000 ‘excess deaths’ since the coronavirus came to America, and two-thirds of them can be attributed to COVID-19, the CDC says.
Television
‘Dungeons & Democracy’: British comic Nish Kumar skewers U.S. voting system
“Hello America” host Nish Kumar plays “a pointless complex quest” to show how the American voting system is like a bad game of Dungeons & Dragons.
World & Nation
U.N. arms embargoes on Iran expire despite U.S. objections
A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that barred it from purchasing foreign weapons like tanks and fighter jets has expired.
China’s economic recovery gains strength as U.S. continues to suffer
China’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is gaining strength as consumers return to shopping malls and car dealerships.
Business
U.S. layoffs remain high, impeding economic recovery
The high number of layoffs continues to hinder the economy’s recovery from the coronavirus-fueled recession that erupted seven months ago.
Art exhibit on an O.C. lawn displays signs for failed candidates in every U.S. presidential election
Nina Katchadourian’s “Monument to the Unelected” is a temporary installation consisting of 58 signs bearing the names of losing candidates from every U.S. presidential election. The installation is viewable on a residential lawn in Orange.
Australia says most of 1,100 refugees have resettled in U.S. under Obama-era deal
An Australian official says the U.S. is expected to have accepted and settled more than 1,100 refugees by early next year under a deal struck in 2016.
