Opinion

When Louis DeJoy became postmaster general in May, he was the first person in more than 20 years to run the US Postal Service who had never worked there. His predecessor, Megan Brennan, had spent her entire career with the service, originally as a mail carrier. On the other hand, DeJoy, an accountant, founded and sold a company, New Breed ...

It’s the technology, stupid! Congress hauled the leaders of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google up on Capitol Hill the other day, digitally of course. They stand accused of all manner of abuse of power, but mainly (1) using their immense market presence to squeeze competitors and (2) tapping their vast databases to shape Americans’ political, cultural and economic behaviour. The ...

Yet another storied clothing retailer has found itself no match for the financial pain brought on by the pandemic. Lord & Taylor, the department store chain that was once a star among the glittering emporiums of Fifth Avenue, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Lord & Taylor filed along with Le Tote, the startup clothing rental company that had acquired ...

The lifting of Covid-19 lockdowns around the world was never going to be easy. But as infections are flaring up from Spain to Australia, it’s worth noting that two of the hardest-hit countries at the pandemic’s peak — Italy and Sweden — are keeping the virus’s spread under control. Daily confirmed cases in both nations are now averaging at around ...

One of the defining features of the Trump years has been the collapse of bipartisan consensus on foreign policy. There is at least one notable exception, however: support for a democratic transition in Venezuela. When Juan Guaido, the leader of Venezuela’s national assembly and the man recognised by the US and more than 60 other nations as the country’s interim ...

When Margaret Fuller, one of 19th century America’s public intellectuals, grandly proclaimed, “I accept the universe,” Thomas Carlyle, the British historian, reportedly said, “By gad, she’d better.” In 21st-century America, people worry about whether President Donald Trump will “accept” defeat in the election. He’d better. Dignified comportment is not his strong suit, but surely he cannot equably contemplate being frogmarched ...

Intellectual property (IP) is a convenient fiction. It is a right enforced by state power and international agreements, one that’s even more fragile than other forms of property rights since it’s not tangible. We choose to believe this fiction because we also believe that intellectual property adds to general welfare. It permits innovation and growth, and supports writers, artists, inventors ...

Data that came out last week illustrated three developments that underscore the need for the US to resume healthy reopenings: worrisome Covid-19 infections, hospitalisations and deaths in a growing number of states; the clear and present risk of significant recurring damage to the economy; and the considerable upside of reversing both trends quickly. What is desirable is also feasible, although ...

The UK’s biggest banks have come a long way since the financial crisis, when taxpayers had to rescue them to the tune of tens of billions of pounds. They’re certainly stronger, with comfortable capital buffers, as they head into what could be the worst recession in three centuries. But with the future of the economic rebound still far from certain, ...

New US sanctions against the Chinese telecom giant Huawei are beginning to bite hard, with a British assessment predicting that the firm may begin running out of complex, US-designed semiconductors and other gear during the next year. The shortage could devastate parts of its business. The Huawei battle is the leading edge of a broad US campaign against Chinese efforts ...