WTF Just Happened Today

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

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1/ The U.S. reported more than 1 million new Covid-19 infections – a single-day record for new cases for any country in the world. The seven-day average of cases climbed to 485,363 on Monday, more than doubling in the span of a week. The U.S. is reporting a seven-day average of about 1,200 Covid-19 deaths – well below last year’s holiday season when the January 2021 daily average was above 3,000 – and about 98,000 daily hospitalizations, a figure that’s approaching September’s peak Delta wave levels of about 103,000. The CDC estimates that the Omicron variant now accounts for up to 95% of all U.S. Covid-19 cases – up from 77% in the previous week. (CNBC / NBC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The U.S. doubled its order of Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral pills, bringing the government’s total order of the drug to 20 million treatment courses. Monthly deliveries of Paxlovid, however, are not expected to ramp up into the millions until April and the combined order is not due to be filled until the end of September. Doctors, meanwhile, say the limited initial supply of the pills means they’re unlikely to alleviate the current strain on hospitals due to the Omicron surge. (Washington Post / New York Times)

3/ A record 4.5 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs in November – up from the 4.2 million who left or changed jobs in October, and surpassing the previous record of 4.4 million in September. The Labor Department also reported that employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November, down from 11.1 million in October but well above pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, has fallen to 4.2%, close to what’s considered full employment. (Politico / CNN / New York Times / Bloomberg / Washington Post)

4/ Joe Manchin told reporters he’s had “no negotiations” with Democrats about reviving Biden’s $1.75 trillion social and climate spending bill. Last month, Manchin said he opposed the House-passed version of the bill, ending his party’s hopes of passing the package before the end of 2021. “I’m really not going to talk about Build Back Better because I think I’ve been very clear on that,” Manchin said outside his office today, adding that he feels “as strongly today” as he did in December about his concerns that the plan could exacerbate high inflation. When asked about possible rule changes to the filibuster, Manchin called it a “heavy lift” and indicated that his “absolute preference” is to do it with Republican support. Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, warned that Manchin will have to vote on Biden’s signature spending bill at some point, saying “I intend to hold a vote in the Senate on BBB and we’ll keep voting until we get a bill passed. The stakes ar...

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