Think back to mid-March 2020. Coronavirus cases were beginning to spike in New York, Washington and California. Much of the U.S. went into lockdown, shutting down vast swaths of the economy. Over the next few months, as the pandemic spread and deaths mounted, millions lost their jobs and the economy sank into the deepest recession on record.
It turns out that it was also the shortest, according to an elite group of economists who this week officially declared the end of the 2020 recession. Jay Zagorsky, an economist at Boston University, explains the meaning of recession, why it took them so long to call it and the role of trillions of dollars in coronavirus aid in ending the downturn after only two months.
Also today:
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Bryan Keogh
Senior Editor, Economy + Business
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The U.S. economy bounced back in record time.
Ambre Haller/Moment via Getty Images
Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University
An economist explains what a recession is, who decides and why it took so long to learn that the COVID-19 downturn was officially over.
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Politics + Society
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Frank LoMonte, University of Florida
New state laws in the US banning teaching about systemic racism raise the question: Does the Constitution protect public school teachers' right to choose how and what to teach?
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Science + Technology
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James P. Brody, University of California, Irvine
A biomedical engineer explains the basic research that led to the discovery of insulin and its transformation into a lifesaving treatment for millions of people with diabetes.
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Economy + Business
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Meg Warren, Western Washington University
While women felt more included when they perceived male colleagues as allies, men who saw themselves that way reported more personal growth as a result.
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Education
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Toni Watt, Texas State University
Multiple difficult childhood experiences can lead to depression and anxiety during college, research has found. Lack of support often makes things worse.
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Matthew J. Landry, Stanford University
Expanding free lunch programs could also reduce stigma for students, lower administrative burdens for schools and create jobs for communities.
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Arts + Culture
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A.D. Carson, University of Virginia
In 1970, Gil Scott-Heron penned a spoken word song called 'Whitey on the Moon' that criticized the 1969 Moon landing. A hip-hop scholar explains why the song still reverberates today.
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Ethics + Religion
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Michael Locke McLendon, California State University, Los Angeles
John Locke and John Stewart Mill don't provide much in the way of justification for ignoring public health advice in a pandemic. Mikhail Bakunin, however...
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Health
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Ruth S. MacDonald, Iowa State University
'When in doubt, throw it out' – and more tips to make sure your festive feast won't make you sick.
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Trending on site
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Claire L. Adida, University of California San Diego; Adeline Lo, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Lauren Prather, University of California San Diego; Melina Platas, New York University Abu Dhabi; Scott Williamson, New York University Abu Dhabi
Research suggests that reminding Americans – Democrats and Republicans – of their family history creates empathy for immigrants and more favorable views toward immigration.
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Justin Vesser, University of Virginia
Ongoing tracking is meant to spot very rare risks – like the connection between the Johnson & Johnson shot and Guillain-Barré syndrome. And it relies on public reporting.
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William Petri, University of Virginia
An immunologist explains that you get some protection from the first dose of the mRNA vaccines but you need two to build up strong immunity, particularly to newer coronavirus variants.
Today’s graphic
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