In recent weeks, Democratic officials in New York and California have proposed legislation granting individual citizens the right to sue manufacturers of assault weapons and ghost guns. More aggressive action to curb gun violence is undoubtedly warranted. Openly subverting the will of federal courts is the wrong way to go about it. First proposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, ...

  The reason that our initial and instinctive view of, well, all of you was so skewed is that we have a human brain. Cognitively, we’ve evolved to have what’s called a negativity bias. Our ancestors in the savannas had a better chance of surviving and, therefore, of passing on their genes, if they paid disproportionate attention to anything actually ...

  Bloomberg President Joe Biden hailed an accord with AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc to delay by two weeks a new 5G service so airlines and safety officials can take steps to prevent interference with aircraft electronics. The companies issued separate statements agreeing to the delay two days before their planned Jan. 5 launch. The action came after a ...

  Bloomberg Hong Kong is banning flights from eight countries including the US and UK for two weeks from January 8, in a drastic tightening of rules as it rushes to plug holes that have seen the highly infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant break through the city’s defenses. The bans last until Jan. 20 and also apply to flights from Australia, ...

  Bloomberg The National Retail Federation plans to host more than 20,000 people in person at its annual convention in New York City next week despite a surge in Covid cases. The event comes at a critical time for the industry, which is grappling with labor shortages and supply constraints. Organizers say all attendees must be fully vaccinated and will ...

  Bloomberg Much of the UK economy is starting the new year on sick leave. With Covid infections soaring to about 200,000 a day as the Omicron variant spreads, hospitals, restaurants, transport operators and retailers are facing acute levels of staff absenteeism. England’s National Health Service is coming under particular pressure. Matthew Taylor, chief executive officer of the NHS Confederation, ...

  Bloomberg Walmart Inc and Kroger Co are boosting the price of a popular at-home Covid-19 test after a deal with the White House to sell the kits at cost expired. The price of BinaxNOW tests at Walmart is rising to $19.88 this week from $14, the company said in an email Tuesday. Kroger said it reinstated “retail pricing” after ...

  Bloomberg North Korea appears to have launched its first ballistic missile in about two months, after leader Kim Jong-un indicated he was more interested in bolstering his arsenal than returning to stalled nuclear talks with the US. North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from land into waters off its east coast Wednesday, South Korea’s military ...

  Bloomberg Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the government’s resignation on Wednesday after increases in fuel prices led to clashes between protesters and police in central Asia’s largest energy producer. The unrest intensified even after Tokayev declared a state of emergency in and around the country’s largest city, Almaty, and the oil-rich Mangystau region. The declaration allows him to impose ...

  Bloomberg Australia and Japan will sign a “historic” treaty that will further strengthen defense and security cooperation during a virtual leaders’ summit on Thursday, in a move that could further inflame tensions with China. The agreement is the first of its type for Japan, other than with the US and the UN, and marks a step closer in a ...