EXPRESS

                                                                                    written by 20321 Yim Tae Hee With the strong support of Democrats, the Biden administration signed for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in March. That stimulus package includes direct payments to Americans, financial support for local governments, and additional aid for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Among those subsidies, raising the federal minimum wage is the most controversial part.  In the U.S., the federal minimum wage is the lower limit, and the states can make an adjustment on it. It usually reflects on the local economic situation of each state. Republicans disagree with it   Since 2009, it has been $7.25 per hour but Democrats are trying to raise it to $15 by 2025. They drafted a bill for the reason of helping those who are below the poverty line, but Republicans have shown evident objection toward it.   Republicans state that it would negatively affect the small-business owners, thus cau

     written by 20305 Kim Min Chae Bitcoin’s surge has been continuing since last fall. This is because money that wasn’t able to find an investment destination at an ultra-low interest rate flowed into cryptocurrency due to the COVID-19 crisis. The current situation of Bitcoin The decisive factors for individuals to invest in Bitcoins was that famous companies such as PayPal, Tesla, and Morgan Stanley bought coins or entered related businesses. Individual investors are relieved that it is “at least not a fraud.” Bitcoin’s domestic price surpassed 81 million won and the U.S. market price surpassed 64,000 dollars. It was record breaking again.  It has doubled this year and jumped more than 10 times in a year. Inside and outside the industry, there are simultaneous claims that “the real rise is from now on” and warnings that “it is almost at the top.” Warnings However, Janet Yellen

                                                                                written by 10223 Choi Jae Hyuk With each passing day, more and more stories of Asian Americans receiving anything ranging from strange looks to verbal abuse to violent beatdowns pop up in social media. Hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. saw a 150% increase in 2020 according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Why could this be happening? Experts believe the spread of COVID-19 and former President Donald Trump’s stance on the pandemic may have been the motivators. China’s failure to report the outbreak of the virus in Wuhan back in December 2019 bought a lot of criticism from the international community. Many politicians and news sources addressed it as the “Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus”, including Trump’s rhetoric condemning China that he made during his presidency. As these comments were coming from high ranking officials, they were accepted by the masses as normal and resulted in enco