Happy Friday MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories:
Vaccine trials have underrepresented people of color for the past decade — and many failed to report demographic data
Pfizer and Moderna have both published the numbers of minority enrollees in their COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Some 730,000 Walmart employees won’t be getting $15 an hour pay — they’re hardly alone
‘Why is it so hard for the richest family in America to just do what they should have done years ago and raise base pay for all Walmart associates to $15/hour?’ one worker questioned.
Weekend reads: How to counter rising inflation
Also, Texas and its power outage, and a deep look at marijuana stocks.
See inside actor Adam Pally’s $4.1 million NYC apartment
“Happy Endings” star Adam Pally is looking for a satisfying conclusion to placing his New York City home on the market. The five-bedroom abode with panoramic views is available for $4,095,000.
Mortgage rates soar to highest level in months amid inflation concerns
‘The market’s outlook seems to suggest that the days of all-time low rates may be a thing of the past.’
My married friends on a road trip only paid one contribution for gas money. Is this the cheapest couple in America?
‘This doesn’t seem fair to me, but we didn’t discuss how the split would work before the trip.’
IRS should postpone tax-filing deadline to prevent ‘taxpayer anxiety,’ Democratic lawmakers say
Tax season started a little later this year, and some advocates worry that low-income filers in particular could suffer.
I pay my boyfriend rent and help run his property business. He takes my commissions and won’t discuss marriage. What can I do?
‘Six months ago, I became very frustrated and made a few spreadsheets: one documenting the rent I have paid over the last 10 years, one for all of the unpaid labor.’
Amid water shortages and power outages, Texans cry foul over price gouging for bottled water, gas and $1,000 hotel rooms
Price gouging on necessities during a declared emergency in Texas is illegal with fines of up to $250,000.
3 in 4 Americans admit they’re ‘hibernating’ or ‘sheltering-in-job’ right now
A new survey finds those lucky enough to have jobs don’t intend to leave anytime soon. Here’s why.
Elsewhere on MarketWatch
Biden says he’s open to making his $1.9 trillion aid plan ‘cheaper’
President Joe Biden makes remarks during a visit to a Pfizer plant in the swing state of Michigan that is producing the drug maker’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Fed’s Williams downplays risks to economy from excessive fiscal stimulus or high asset prices
New York Fed President John Williams on Friday pushed back on concerns the economic recovery could be derailed by high asset prices or excessive fiscal stimulus from Washington.
Big Tech is swallowing the rest of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley’s deepening descent into wealth inequality is particularly stark when comparing Big Tech with the San Francisco Bay Area’s small businesses.
‘I like the stock’ and ‘I am not a cat’ — see the GameStop hearing highlights
The House Financial Services Committee on Thursday called before it the major players in the rapid rise and collapse of GameStop’s stock as it shined a spotlight on some troubling aspects of equities-market structure in the U.S.
Bitcoin market value tops $1 trillion for first time ever as crypto price soars
The world’s No. 1 cryptocurrency hit a record high on Friday, propelling it to a market value above $1 trillion for the first time ever.
