Published by  | | | | (Mary Kang, Rachel Bujalski, Paul Wilson and Jamie Kelter Davis for The Washington Post; Brandon Bell/Getty Images) | | When the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1, the country seemed to let out a collective sigh. The most unprecedented year many of us had experienced in our lifetimes had finally come to an end. Though the coronavirus pandemic still raged on, 2021 promised new beginnings. Vaccine distribution was underway. Economists were projecting rapid economic growth. A return to "normal" finally felt within reach for a country slowly reemerging. | | | (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post) | | ADVERTISEMENT | | From McKinsey & Company | | The impact of ageism |  | New research quantifies the struggles midcareer workers—those 45 and over—face and suggests possible interventions to level the playing field. A new episode of The McKinsey Podcast features Mona Mourshed, CEO of Generation, unpacking the report. Check out the podcast | | | | | |  | | Best friends Rachel Carlsen, 29, and Lily Andrule, 29, began co-working together at Andrule's apartment during the pandemic. (Taylor Glascock for The Washington Post) | | We also documented quieter moments of reflection and resilience. Friends discovered new ways to stay connected. Couples shifted their domestic duties. Young activists found their voice amid ongoing calls for social justice and climate action. Relationships blossomed. And families grew. Ahead of whatever may come in 2022, we decided to revisit our coverage since January to highlight 12 stories and photos that have come to define another whirlwind pandemic year. | | | | | Three need-to-know stories | | | (iStock; Washington Post illustration) | 01.The Supreme Court on Friday left in place a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks but provided a path for abortion providers to challenge what is the nation's most restrictive law on the procedure. The court's splintered decision allows the providers to return to a district judge who once blocked the law, saying it violated the constitutional right to abortion. 02.The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia is suing the Hanover County School Board for rejecting a 2020 law that would have permitted transgender students to use bathrooms and attend sex-specific classes that match their gender identities. It is the first such lawsuit against a Virginia school district, although a handful of other systems have also denied or delayed granting transgender students access to sex-specific facilities. 03.A desperate search and rescue operation unfolded this weekend across six states after rare winter tornadoes ripped through parts of the South and the Midwest late Friday and early Saturday. More than 100 people are feared to have been killed as officials continue to comb through rubble and work to determine the exact number of deaths. Follow live updates from The Washington Post. | | | | | | | | Claudia Levy in 2000. (Marie Marzi for The Washington Post) | | Claudia Levy, a Washington Post journalist and union activist who battled successfully in the 1970s for the increased hiring of women in the newsroom as well as more equitable pay and opportunities for their advancement, died Dec. 3 at her home in the Bannockburn community of Bethesda, Md. She was 77. In a reporting and Newspaper Guild career spanning nearly 40 years, Ms. Levy was wholly unimpressed by power and wholly unintimidated by those who wielded it. "Her efforts to get women equal pay back in the day — that was like career suicide, and she didn't care," her sister Andrea Polk said. "She did it anyway." | | | | | | (iStock; Washington Post illustration) | | Career achievements are great, but personal victories matter just as much — because only you know what it took to achieve them. Maybe you practiced self-acceptance and stopped doubting yourself. Or maybe you finally got over a relationship and found closure. For an upcoming story, we want to hear about personal accomplishments you're most proud of this year. Tell us here. | | | | | But before we part, some recs | | Janay KingsberryMultiplatform editor, The LilyWhat's gluing me to my phone:Two Dots — a soothing puzzle game that guides you through beautiful worlds as you advance to new levels. My favorite feature is the scavenger hunts, which always tout stunning seasonal illustrations and great prizes if you can find all the hidden objects. My winter skincare splurge:The cold months can be brutal to my dry, sensitive skin, but this thick triple lipid-peptide cream has been a game changer in my winter skincare routine. I love applying it at night and waking up to fresh, hydrated skin the next day. How I'm getting into the holiday spirit:Norah Jones's new Christmas album has been the soundtrack to all my festivities and cozy nights at home this season. In her sultry, soothing voice, she delivers new songs and covers a few classics, including one of my favorites, "Christmas Time Is Here." | | | | |
