As Russia creeps closer to the Eastern border of Ukraine, the world is watching and waiting to see what will happen. Talks last week with NATO and the United States did nothing to squelch the skirmish, and no one knows quite what Vladimir Putin has in mind. Besides the geopolitical uncertainty, the effect on the stock market is also in question.
With Omicron barreling through the country, now more than ever the issue of vaccination is resurfacing. Truly, most hospitals are reporting that the vast majority of those hospitalized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated, but for those unwilling to get the shot, there is another issue. Many employers are mandating vaccinations for their employees, and for those refusing to get vaccinated, more than their health is currently at stake.
As learning gaps continue to grow across the United States, there is one gap in education that legislators are finally addressing: the need for high school students to learn about personal finance.
Like a pebble thrown into a pond, the pandemic continues to send out ripples that are affecting the daily life of the consumers across the United States. The country is experiencing a phenomenon of severe labor shortages coupled with the highest wages in 20 years, and experts are not quite sure which way the pendulum will swing when all the dust settles. One thing is for certain: employers are straining their creative and monetary resources in order to keep their business afloat.
Crude oil prices are topping the charts at levels not seen in years. With the glut of oil stockpiled during the pandemic shutdown, getting the crude oil commodities back to an even keel has been difficult. And now that more fuel is needed with winter coming, crude oil is difficult to find. Oil prices are through the roof as global commodity prices have spiked, and experts are predicting a drought of fossil fuels to get the world through the winter.
You have probably noticed a shortage of your favorite items in the grocery stores these days, and although there are many reasons that the broken supply chain is causing empty store shelves, the most far-reaching reason is that there are not enough truck drivers to get items to the shelves.
With seemingly harmless games like “What is Your Favorite Color?” and “What Does Your Name Mean?” Facebook has garnered an enormous following of people seeking connections, relaxation, and information. But recently the harsher side of Facebook is under scrutiny, with whistleblower Frances Haugen telling the world that the safety of children is at risk. Social media companies need to forego endless profits in favor of safety, and algorithms are the way to do that.
International events of this past weekend have proven yet again that politics and business don’t mix. With China taking on a larger role in the world of trade in the past several years, and also looking to get their due as a global superpower, innocent entrepreneurs have been used as pawns in their political plans. Governments need to be careful to separate business from politics so that uninvolved people do not bear the weight of a country’s desire for trade.
American troops have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, keeping the Taliban quiet and helping the Afghan people live with some sense of autonomy and peace. They have also served as a deterrent to terrorist groups that wish harm to America and the rest of the world.