Now that the world has successfully completed history’s fastest development of a new vaccine, you might be wondering why we don’t always just make one this fast. If the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective and the process to produce them didn’t cut any corners … well, why does it normally take around a decade to do something we just did in less than a year?The answer to that question is inextricably tied up with another question floating around: Once you get the vaccine, can you just go back to your normal life full of hugging people and not wearing a mask?If only we knew for...…Now that the world has successfully completed history’s fastest development of a new vaccine, you might be wondering why we don’t always just make one this fast. If the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective and the process to produce them didn’t cut any corners … well, why does it normally take around a decade to do something we just did in less than a year?The answer to that question is inextricably tied up with another question floating around: Once you get the vaccine, can you just go back to your normal life full of hugging people and not wearing a mask?If only we knew for...WW…

Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics in the NBA draft thanks to a pick swap acquired in the famed Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster trade. University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz was the top available prospect, but Celtics general manager Danny Ainge saw things differently. Rather than standing pat and selecting the player nearly everyone viewed as the best prospect, Ainge traded down and almost immediately declared that he at No. 3 that he would have taken at No. 1.The twists and turns taken by Fultz’s career were hardly foreseeable, but three years in, Ainge is looking pretty...…Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics in the NBA draft thanks to a pick swap acquired in the famed Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster trade. University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz was the top available prospect, but Celtics general manager Danny Ainge saw things differently. Rather than standing pat and selecting the player nearly everyone viewed as the best prospect, Ainge traded down and almost immediately declared that he at No. 3 that he would have taken at No. 1.The twists and turns taken by Fultz’s career were hardly foreseeable, but three years in, Ainge is looking pretty...WW…

Polls show that Republican voters but aren’t universally opposed to restrictions on firearms. In fact, most Republicans support . Most back “red flag” provisions allowing the police to from people deemed dangerous by a judge. A majority support to purchase a gun.So with Democrats to take action on gun control in the wake of last weekend’s mass shootings in , and — in particular, to pass a bill adopted in February by the Democratic-controlled House that would essentially — will anything happen?It isn’t impossible. President Trump that he would push for “red flag” laws. But Trump has after...…Polls show that Republican voters but aren’t universally opposed to restrictions on firearms. In fact, most Republicans support . Most back “red flag” provisions allowing the police to from people deemed dangerous by a judge. A majority support to purchase a gun.So with Democrats to take action on gun control in the wake of last weekend’s mass shootings in , and — in particular, to pass a bill adopted in February by the Democratic-controlled House that would essentially — will anything happen?It isn’t impossible. President Trump that he would push for “red flag” laws. But Trump has after...WW…

By and As of May 28, 2021, we are no longer updating this project with new COVID-19 forecasts.Models predicting the potential spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have become a fixture of American life. Yet each model tells a different story about the loss of life to come, making it hard to know which one is “right.” But COVID-19 models aren’t made to be unquestioned oracles. They’re not trying to tell us one precise future, but rather the range of possibilities given the facts on the ground.One of their more sober tasks is predicting the number of Americans who will die due to COVID-19....…By and As of May 28, 2021, we are no longer updating this project with new COVID-19 forecasts.Models predicting the potential spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have become a fixture of American life. Yet each model tells a different story about the loss of life to come, making it hard to know which one is “right.” But COVID-19 models aren’t made to be unquestioned oracles. They’re not trying to tell us one precise future, but rather the range of possibilities given the facts on the ground.One of their more sober tasks is predicting the number of Americans who will die due to COVID-19....WW…

As Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly sat in the penalty box during a game at Chicago’s United Center in February 2018, he listened as a “basketball, basketball, basketball” in his direction. The Blackhawks fans taunting Smith-Pelly, who is Black, were making their position clear: Hockey isn’t for everyone, and it’s especially not for Black people.Willie O’Ree, who became the NHL’s first Black player in 1958 when he took the ice for the Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, throughout his career. When Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds was on the Flyers in...…As Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly sat in the penalty box during a game at Chicago’s United Center in February 2018, he listened as a “basketball, basketball, basketball” in his direction. The Blackhawks fans taunting Smith-Pelly, who is Black, were making their position clear: Hockey isn’t for everyone, and it’s especially not for Black people.Willie O’Ree, who became the NHL’s first Black player in 1958 when he took the ice for the Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, throughout his career. When Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds was on the Flyers in...WW…

 More: |We start with the return of the NBA, which also means the return of our NBA prediction model, powered by our RAPTOR player ratings. We’ve gotten rid of some things — most notably the more predictive version of RAPTOR, which threw off our playoff predictions last year — and have also changed some things around to account for the ongoing pandemic that the league is going to start (but hopefully not finish) playing in. Four teams — the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics — have double-digit odds of taking home the title this year, according...… More: |We start with the return of the NBA, which also means the return of our NBA prediction model, powered by our RAPTOR player ratings. We’ve gotten rid of some things — most notably the more predictive version of RAPTOR, which threw off our playoff predictions last year — and have also changed some things around to account for the ongoing pandemic that the league is going to start (but hopefully not finish) playing in. Four teams — the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics — have double-digit odds of taking home the title this year, according...WW…

With so many people across the country to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, it isn’t surprising that video gaming is on the rise these past few months. , play time was up by 45 percent during the last week of March, while worldwide . Although a lot of that includes the popular new , which since its release, it also includes sports games — the likes of which leagues have increasingly embraced in the absence of real contests. ESPN aired the in April, while baseball players airing on Twitch and YouTube.In other words, there’s probably never been a better opportunity to play sports...…With so many people across the country to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, it isn’t surprising that video gaming is on the rise these past few months. , play time was up by 45 percent during the last week of March, while worldwide . Although a lot of that includes the popular new , which since its release, it also includes sports games — the likes of which leagues have increasingly embraced in the absence of real contests. ESPN aired the in April, while baseball players airing on Twitch and YouTube.In other words, there’s probably never been a better opportunity to play sports...WW…

Congressional Republicans and President Trump seem hell-bent on pushing through a bill to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. “Duh,” you say, “the Republicans have been promising to repeal Obamacare since the day it was passed.”But here’s where things get interesting. We tend to assume political parties want to get their policy goals adopted, but also to stay in power. Republicans won control of Congress in 2010 Democrats pushed through a health care bill that the plurality of voters did not approve of, according to from that time. The Republicans are doing the same thing now, only...…Congressional Republicans and President Trump seem hell-bent on pushing through a bill to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. “Duh,” you say, “the Republicans have been promising to repeal Obamacare since the day it was passed.”But here’s where things get interesting. We tend to assume political parties want to get their policy goals adopted, but also to stay in power. Republicans won control of Congress in 2010 Democrats pushed through a health care bill that the plurality of voters did not approve of, according to from that time. The Republicans are doing the same thing now, only...WW…

No NFL team believes in the power of first-round draft picks more than the Atlanta Falcons. Before they even make their choice with the in this year’s draft, set for April 23 to 25, the Falcons are lousy with the best of the draft’s best. They’re set to open the 2020 season with at least boasting first-round pedigrees — and they could go a perfect 11 for 11 depending on how the shakes out.Of course, starters in April aren’t always starters in September, let alone December. But if Atlanta’s projected offensive starters can stay healthy, for draft talent on one side of the ball. In fact, it’s...…No NFL team believes in the power of first-round draft picks more than the Atlanta Falcons. Before they even make their choice with the in this year’s draft, set for April 23 to 25, the Falcons are lousy with the best of the draft’s best. They’re set to open the 2020 season with at least boasting first-round pedigrees — and they could go a perfect 11 for 11 depending on how the shakes out.Of course, starters in April aren’t always starters in September, let alone December. But if Atlanta’s projected offensive starters can stay healthy, for draft talent on one side of the ball. In fact, it’s...WW…

Illustrations by David HuangBy and Ark.Ark.Tenn.Tenn.Ga.Ga.Miss.Miss.Fla.Fla.IdahoIdahoN.D.N.D.Minn.Minn.Ill.Ill.N.Y.N.Y.Pa.Pa.Nev.Nev.Ind.Ind.Colo.Colo.Va.Va.Calif.Calif.Mo.Mo.W.Va.W.Va.Md.Md.D.C.D.C.Wis.Wis.N.M.N.M.S.C.S.C.Ariz.Ariz.Kan.Kan.N.C.N.C.Okla.Okla.La.La.Ala.Ala.AlaskaAlaskaHawaiiHawaiiTexasTexasMont.Mont.Wash.Wash.Mich.Mich.Mass.Mass.N.J.N.J.Wyo.Wyo.Ore.Ore.S.D.S.D.IowaIowaOhioOhioConn.Conn.R.I.R.I.UtahUtahNeb.Neb.Ky.Ky.Del.Del.Vt.Vt.N.H.N.H.MaineMaine*Includes states that allow anyone to use the pandemic as an excuse.Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and...…Illustrations by David HuangBy and Ark.Ark.Tenn.Tenn.Ga.Ga.Miss.Miss.Fla.Fla.IdahoIdahoN.D.N.D.Minn.Minn.Ill.Ill.N.Y.N.Y.Pa.Pa.Nev.Nev.Ind.Ind.Colo.Colo.Va.Va.Calif.Calif.Mo.Mo.W.Va.W.Va.Md.Md.D.C.D.C.Wis.Wis.N.M.N.M.S.C.S.C.Ariz.Ariz.Kan.Kan.N.C.N.C.Okla.Okla.La.La.Ala.Ala.AlaskaAlaskaHawaiiHawaiiTexasTexasMont.Mont.Wash.Wash.Mich.Mich.Mass.Mass.N.J.N.J.Wyo.Wyo.Ore.Ore.S.D.S.D.IowaIowaOhioOhioConn.Conn.R.I.R.I.UtahUtahNeb.Neb.Ky.Ky.Del.Del.Vt.Vt.N.H.N.H.MaineMaine*Includes states that allow anyone to use the pandemic as an excuse.Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and...WW…