Priority letter: the Omicron variant

Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how this decision will shape the campaign. The world’s first refuge for whales once held in captivity. And o ...  Show more

As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to c ...  Show more

Governments’ rapid responses to a new coronavirus strain were wise. But much is still to be learned about the Omicron variant before <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/11/28/what-to-do-about-covid-19s-threatening-new-variant?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_me ...

It was only a matter of time before cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant started popping up in the U.S., and now, it's here. Although it's too early to tell how this virus strain will spread, the threat it poses has already lit a fire under public health messaging. President Bid ...  Show more

Scientist in South Africa have identified a new variant of the Covid-19 virus. Cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in countries including Belgium, Germany, Australia and Hong Kong. Some countries have put restrictions on travel from parts of Southern Africa. Scienti ...  Show more

Omicron pushes the average U.S. daily Covid case count above 300,000. Now the variant has some states rethinking when and how kids will go back to school. Plus: Despite low unemployment and stock market records, the everyday economic reality for some Americans feels very differen ...  Show more