Moderna says booster protects against omicron - December 20, 2021 Executive Leadership Briefing

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin delivered a massive blow to President Joe Biden’s proposed $2 trillion spending bill over the weekend, announcing on “Fox News Sunday” that he had withdrawn his support for the legislation. Manchin’s break from the Democratic party would remove the key vote necessary to achieve a 50-50 vote in the Senate, upending the fate of the Build Back Better Act. Goldman Sachs quickly lowered its U.S. economic outlook following the news, while economists said the U.S. must brace for a tight fiscal squeeze in the new year.
Pelosi hopeful of Build Back Better Act deal in 2022 - Axios
What losing Build Back Better means for climate change NPR
@kylegriffin1: In a letter to colleagues, Leader Schumer vows to bring up BBB despite Manchin's objections and "we will keep voting on it until we get something done." He adds: Every senator will have "the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television."
U.S. Treasury yields ticked lower on Monday as investors and economists grew more concerned that the omicron variant could derail economic recovery. Several European countries have imposed new coronavirus restrictions such as lockdowns, curfews and the closure of nonessential businesses to stem the spread of the new variant, while more uncertainty has prompted U.S. offices to close for in-person work.
Omicron uncertainty prompts WEF to delay Davos summit to mid-2022 - Reuters
Biden admin eyes a potentially stark shift in messaging around ending the pandemic - CNN
Moderna said Monday that its coronavirus booster appears to protect against the omicron variant, sending the company's shares higher amid warnings that the new variant is “raging” through the world. While most of the world’s vaccines do offer some protection against severe illness from omicron, a growing consensus of public health experts say that those vaccines will not prevent infection. They say a new global surge not only threatens the health of vulnerable people around the world but increases the opportunity for the emergence of even more variants.
Sens. Warren and Booker test positive for breakthrough COVID - Associated Press
South Africa Hospitalization Rate Plunges in Omicron Wave - Bloomberg
'It is embarrassing': CDC struggles to track Covid cases as Omicron looms - Politico
Fear of the omicron variant is prompting some Americans to rethink their travel plans, compounding troubles for U.S. airlines as they brace for flight disruptions ahead of a new 5G cellular service slated to go live on Jan. 5. The telecom and airline industries have been in a long-lasting dispute over the new wireless signals, which air carriers say could inhibit landings in poor visibility and create a cascade of delays and cancellations.
Israel set to ban travel to US as Covid curbs widen - France 24
@SquawkCNBC: "People are still getting on airplanes, believe it or not," says @Jefferies Analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu on the #omicron variant's impact on travel $UAL, $AAL, $DAL. "It's scaring people and people are rerouting from international travel to domestic."
The new installment of the Spider-Man franchise achieved a pandemic-record opening over the weekend, marking the third-best opening in cinematic history despite the spread of the omicron variant. The blockbuster success of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” comes as live-audience performances such as Saturday Night Live return to pandemic-era recordings with no audiences.
Covid-19 Vaccine Issues Create 'General Hospital' Drama and Increased Costs on Movie Sets - The Wall Street Journal
@carlquintanilla: “Not only did more than 20 million people leave their homes to see a blockbuster .. but they faced down the Omicron variant to do it — a reflection .. of .. pent-up desire to be part of a big cultural moment @brooksbarnesNYT
"U.S. Economy Loses Fed, Fiscal Props After Powell-Manchin Pivots" - Bloomberg / Source: Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Brookings Institut