In April, Chile’s President Gabriel Boric said his country would be nationalizing its lithium industry, a move set to bolster its economy and protect its environment. Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of the metal, which is an essential component in the manufacturing of electric vehicle, cellphone and laptop batteries. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter…

If Russia can’t take Bakhmut from Ukraine, it may be content with just burning the whole city to the ground. In drone video released by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, images show what appeared to be white phosphorus raining down on the city’s buildings. White phosphorus ignites on contact with air. It burns at about 1500…

COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency. The World Health Organization announced the official end to the global pandemic on May 5, three years after it was first declared. “It’s with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news conference from…

April’s jobs report out Friday morning, May 5, crushed economists’ estimates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the economy added 253,000 jobs for the month, when around 180,000 were expected. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged back down to 3.4%, tying a near 70-year low. Since March 2022, the unemployment rate has stayed between 3.4% and…

The Writers Guild of America is on strike for the first time in 15 years, causing Hollywood productions to grind to a halt. The union says the transition to streaming has cut writers’ pay, while studios and producers are under pressure to cut costs as they attempt to turn a profit. Labor disputes in Tinseltown…

According to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, if the debt ceiling isn’t lifted soon, the government could default on its obligations “potentially as early as June 1.” President Joe Biden has made it clear he’ll veto any Republican proposals that would lift the debt ceiling by making drastic cuts in federal spending — which is exactly…

Iran seized another oil tanker on May 3, making it the second seizure in under one week. The seizure is adding to concerns that Iran is threatening maritime traffic in the open seas of a pivotal strait where nearly one-fifth of all crude oil passes through. Surveillance video from the U.S. Navy shows about a…

Low visibility due to a dust storm in Illinois caused a deadly highway pileup of dozens of cars. And writers in Hollywood are officially on strike. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Dust storm creates 80-car pileup A dust storm in Illinois created an 80 car pileup on…