United States
$500 ACA refund checks: what the White House has confirmed
The White House says Treasury has begun sending $500 ACA refund checks to a limited group of consumers. Individual eligibility and delivery timing remain unresolved.
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United States
Follow analysis of American politics, institutions, society and the economy. Explore the domestic debates and international decisions that shape the United States and its relationships with the wider world.
Business
Amazon’s October Prime Refunds: What the $200 Cap Means
The expanded October refund phase remains capped at $51. A possible later supplement has separate conditions, and the $200 cumulative ceiling is not guaranteed.
Finance & Economics
US Jobs Report October 2, 2026: Payrolls Rise 29,000
September payrolls rose by 29,000 and unemployment was 4.2%. BLS revised July and August down by a combined 60,000, while hourly earnings grew 3.0% over the year.
United States
Democracies Survived Political Violence Before and Can Again
Open societies have survived murderous extremists before. From Italy's Years of Lead to today's year of rage, history suggests democracies are tougher than they look.
United States
How Women’s Jobs Make Families More Equal Worldwide
From Saudi Arabia to India, letting women work outside the home shifts power inside it. Data and personal stories show why earnings make families more equal.
United States
Why Home-Schooling Is Surging Around the World
Home-schooling has surged in America, Britain, Australia and Canada, drawing a broader mix of families motivated by safety, pressure and curriculum. Evidence on learning and wellbeing is mixed,…
United States
America’s Nightlife Czars: Cities Rethink After-Dark Economy
Boston hired its first director of the nightlife economy. A dozen U.S. cities are following, loosening liquor, zoning and dancing rules to bring people back downtown after dark.
United States
NATO ponders how to defend Eastern Europe as America pulls back
Germany is permanently deploying to Lithuania and aiming to become Europe's largest army as American forces dwindle. The test is whether NATO can hold the eastern flank without…
United States
Air-Conditioning Is Now a Global Political Flashpoint
Fights over air-conditioning — from brawls in French supermarkets to blackout protests in South Asia — show how cooling has become essential, divisive and hard to power.
United States
US Clean-Energy Investment Holds at Record Despite Trump Wind Curbs
American clean-energy investment remains at record levels despite Donald Trump's stall on wind permits, even as global renewable growth falls short of Dubai 2030 targets, Oliver Morton writes.