Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

With most states reopening for business after shutting down for the novel coronavirus, some states are seeing an increase in infections. And with protest marches bringing together large numbers of people, some scientists worry that infections could rise further. However, scientists say that there’s lots of uncertainty about whether, and how much, the coronavirus will […]

As the world waits for scientists to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus, some have asked if  “herd immunity” could play a part in reducing the virus’ spread. Generally, scientists say that herd immunity does have a role to play in curbing the virus prior to the development of a vaccine, […]

As federal troops and police were pushing peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Square across the street from The White House, President Donald Trump was threatening a similar show of federal force in states to quell demonstrations. In a Rose Garden address June 1, Trump said he “strongly recommended” that every governor deploy the National Guard […]

There has been lots of misinformation circulating about the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. On March 30, that information flowed straight from top officials in Minnesota. On the morning of May 30 — five days after Floyd died when an officer pinned his neck under […]

The presidential race may have taken a back seat to the coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout, and anger over deaths in police custody. But the contest between President Donald Trump and expected Democratic nominee Joe Biden is proceeding, notably in the realm of fundraising. Here’s a look at how the fundraising picture looks as of […]

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump and his allies have ratcheted up attacks against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. One line of attack isn’t new: a Chinese business deal involving Biden’s son Hunter. Trump is giving it additional weight amid his criticism of China for its early handling of the coronavirus. In an interview with […]

About half of voters in Lee County, Fla., decided to cast their votes by mail in the past two statewide elections. Elections supervisor Tommy Doyle expects that to climb to 70% in November due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Doyle, a Republican in a conservative-leaning county, home to Fort Myers, has encouraged voters to […]

Most of the time, few Americans give much thought to “unmasking,” a practice whereby senior officials can request the identities of Americans who show up in U.S. intelligence reports and intercepts. But Republicans have begun using it as a weapon against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. On May 13, two Republican senators, Ron Johnson of […]

Americans are counting on a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Two months into the pandemic, is the U.S. and the world any closer to one? The short answer is yes, experts say. But creating an effective vaccine will still require a lot to go right. There are more than 100 vaccine projects […]

After a three-year-plus legal saga involving Russia and the 2016 election, the Justice Department said it was recommending that the judge dismiss the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.  The Justice Department made its request in a filing signed by U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea, shortly after the original line prosecutor, Brandon Van Grack, […]

At a time when good news about the coronavirus pandemic is hard to find, one hopeful word has landed on a lot of people’s lips: remdesivir. The drug, produced by Gilead Sciences, was unsuccessfully deployed against Ebola virus in recent years. It has attracted new interest after the novel coronavirus appeared in China late last […]

Even within the whirlwind of coronavirus news, a recent study quickly garnered headlines when it reported a high mortality rate for patients on ventilators in one New York health care network. The study, published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, followed 5,700 coronavirus patients who had been admitted to 12 Northwell Health […]