Upshot: 15 things we learned from the pandemic

March 13, 2025

Liana Finck

15 Lessons Scientists Learned About Us When the World Stood Still

The pandemic gave researchers a rare opportunity to study human behavior. Their work offers lessons about loneliness, remote work, high heels and more.

By Claire Cain Miller and Irineo Cabreros

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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPSHOT AND FRIENDS

Maansi Srivastava for The New York Times

What Does a Shutdown Have to Do With the Budget or Elon Musk? Here’s a Guide.

A short-term spending bill, a 10-year budget plan and Musk’s cost-cutting team are all progressing at once.

By Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano

The New York Times

Where U.S. Measles Outbreaks Are Spreading

As new cases are reported, our maps and illustrations show the spread of the virus and how infections can run through a community.

By Jonathan Corum and Teddy Rosenbluth

Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

Teenagers Say Girls Are Equal to Boys in School, or Are Ahead

Reflecting a generational change, two Pew surveys show boys tend to feel discouraged in the classroom, and are less likely than girls to pursue college.

By Claire Cain Miller

The New York Times

How Corporate America Is Retreating From D.E.I.

So far this year the number of companies in the S&P 500 that used the phrase “diversity, equity and inclusion” in annual reports has fallen by nearly 60 percent from 2024, a New York Times analysis shows.

By Emma Goldberg, Aaron Krolik and Lily Boyce

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Marco Hernandez

A Thousand Snipers in the Sky: The New War in Ukraine

Drones have changed the war in Ukraine, with soldiers adapting off-the-shelf models and swarming the front lines.

By Marc Santora, Lara Jakes, Andrew E. Kramer, Marco Hernandez and Liubov Sholudko

Josh Holder

How Soon Could Ukraine’s Forces ‘Start to Buckle’ Without U.S. Weapons?

It could be as little as four months, say analysts, as Europe scrambles to plug the hole in support left by President Trump’s suspension of military aid.

By Lara Jakes and Josh Holder

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