Good Afternoon. It's Thursday, December 9th, and you’re listening to Ausum’s Afternoon News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.
Axios updates us on all Omicron data. COVID cases and deaths are on the rise, mainly due to Delta, as mentioned this morning. In relation to Omicron, emerging data reports that nearly all Omicron instances in the United States are moderate, according to the CDC director. But, to look out for a poor flu season on top of COVID, experts predict.
The New York Times adds that several million teenagers will receive a booster six months after receiving their second dose of the Covid vaccination, thanks to regulatory approval. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly approved the move, stating that the agency was urging adolescents to get a booster shot. Fauci believes the definition of "completely vaccinated" will alter "when, not if" — Omicron gives boosters a shot.
Meanwhile, BBC reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned that wealthier nations will begin to stockpile vaccines. This could jeopardize vaccine supplies to countries where the majority of people are still unvaccinated. In reaction to Omicron, some wealthy countries are speeding up the distribution of a booster shot.
The Hill kicks off the news on the debt ceiling, reporting that fourteen Senate Republicans backed an agreement struck by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to set up a one-time filibuster exemption on extending the debt ceiling on Thursday. Senators voted 64-36 to end debate on the bill, which also stops automatic Medicare cuts from taking effect for physicians and other medical providers. The bill, which could pass the Senate as early as Thursday, is scheduled to be voted on before the end of December.
The goal of the fast-track process, according to the Washington Post, is to raise the debt ceiling and position Congress to avoid a catastrophic default ahead of a looming budgetary deadline. A major procedural obstacle cleared, paving the way for a final vote on the unorthodox arrangement, which does not really lift the cap but rather modifies Senate rules for the time being so lawmakers may deal with the issue more quickly.
The Washington Examiner takes a look at the spending so far since President Joe Biden has taken office. The House and Senate approved $1.9 trillion in COVID-19 aid and $1.2 trillion in infrastructure investment, with a $1.85 trillion social welfare and green energy expenditure measure expected to be passed in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the US debt has risen dramatically over the last decade and now stands at $27 trillion.
Concerning the Oxford High School attack, CNN updates us that the family of a student shot during the Oxford High School shooting filed a complaint against the school system, administrators, and workers, alleging that they "willfully misrepresented the hazards" of a prospective shooting and acted negligently. Jeffrey Franz and Brandi Franz, the parents of students Riley Franz, who was shot in the neck, and Bella Franz, filed the case. The lawsuit demands a jury trial and wants damages over $100 million.
Business Insider covers the latest in the housing market, as the rise in property prices in the United States is accelerating. This is wonderful news for homeowners but poor news for homebuyers, especially millennials. According to CoreLogic, the average price of a home in the United States increased by 18% between October 2020 and October 2021. This is the most significant increase in 45 years. Month-on-month growth decreased to 1.3 percent in May, down from 2.3 percent in April.
Also making history is Starbucks, according to the Wall Street Journal, workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York Vote in favor of forming a union. In the company's 50-year existence, baristas voted to form the first labor union in one of the company's own U.S. cafés. A huge win for the baristas who petitioned in August to vote on joining a union in order to have a direct line of communication with the corporation, and a loss for Starbucks, which had spent months attempting to persuade Buffalo-area workers to vote against forming a labor group.
Lastly, Forbes reported that after years of controversy over family-owned company Purdue Pharma's role in the opioid epidemic, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the country's largest and most visited museum, will remove the Sackler family name from seven exhibition spaces, including the iconic wing that houses the Egyptian Temple of Dendur.
That’s all for today. Be sure to download the Ausum app to get the full Ausum experience. Catch you next time for the Ausum News Briefing every weekday, morning, and afternoon.