Executive Leadership Briefing

U.S. senators voted to repeal President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 employees or more, marking a largely symbolic move before Democratic leaders in the House take up the measure. Two Democrats voted with Republicans to overturn the measure, although the White House has said Biden will veto it if it reaches his desk. The measure was presented as the U.S. reached a milestone of 200 million people who are now fully vaccinated.

Judge weighs suit on LAUSD COVID-19 student vaccine mandate - The Lzos Angeles Times

New York and Maine deploy National Guard troops to bolster Covid response - NBC News

@SenatorBraun: No one should be forced to choose between getting a vaccine and losing their job. This mandate puts millions of livelihoods and every Americans' freedoms at stake. President Biden must heed the message the Senate sent tonight in a bipartisan vote: Abandon this overreach now.

Britain is urging people to work from home and reintroducing some measures to tackle the spread of the omicron variant. Residents will be required to wear a face mask in indoor spaces and show a vaccine pass to enter large venues in a move that the government calls Plan B. The new guidance comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff faces criticism for flouting the lockdown in place last year and holding an office holiday party.

WHO says omicron variant could change the course of the Covid pandemic - CNBC

The AP Interview: CDC chief says omicron mostly mild so far - Associated Press

@GuyOpperman: Clearly we all hope that the fears about Omicron will not be realised, but the strong medical advice is that, along with travel bans and other measures, the Plan B approach will slow the spread and protect both the public and our NHS 2/

Lyft will allow office employees to work remotely through 2022. A spokesperson said the change was not directly tied to the new omicron variant, but followed in step with other companies that are adjusting their reopening plans. Google has promised its staff an additional cash bonus of $1,600 after pushing back return-to-office plans and announcing several other measures intended to boost employee morale.

Few Europeans want a return to 9-5 at office after pandemic, survey shows - Reuters

One overlooked driver of the Great Resignation? Fraying office friendships - Fortune

U.S. jobless claims in the last week reached their lowest level in 52 years, totaling 184,000. The pace of the Great Resignation also slowed in October, with the portion of job quitters falling by 4.7% and the level of job openings just below an all-time high. At the same time, the freelance economy has continued to grow since the onset of the pandemic. About 36% of the labor force said in an Upwork survey that they did some kind of freelance work in the past year.

Big raises in store for US workers in 2022, report says - The Washington Post

EU plan to boost gig economy workers is latest blow to apps - Associated Press

This Inflation Defies the Old Models - The Wall Street Journal

Biden committed the federal government to net-zero emissions by 2050, signing an executive order that directs federal agencies to buy clean energy, purchase electric vehicles and make federal buildings more energy efficient. Agencies must buy only zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Food waste becomes California's newest climate change target - Associated Press

The Climate Bill Includes Billions in Funding. Will It Be Spent Fairly? - The New York Times

@ianbremmer: US emissions are (nearly) double the EU's. What will it take for the US to reach net zero by 2050? #GraphicTruth @gzeromedia #TopStories2021

"Covid Spurs Biggest Rise in Life-Insurance Payouts in a Century" - The Wall Street Journal / Source: American Council of Life Insurers

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New York City unveiled the most sweeping local vaccine mandate in the country with requirements for all on-site employees at all private businesses to get at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine by Dec. 27. The mandate does not offer an option for employees to opt for regular COVID-19 testing instead and does not exempt small employers such as corner grocery stores. Experts say the mandate is almost certain to face legal challenges, and it may not be enforced by the city’s next mayor when he takes office on Jan. 1.

Glaxo Says Its Covid-19 Antibody Drug Works Against Omicron - The Wall Street Journal

Omicron v. delta: Battle of coronavirus mutants is critical - Associated Press

@CaraSantaMaria: All 53,000 attendees of Anime NYC urged to get tested after one got Omicron. #OmicronVariant #Omicron #AnimeNYC #SuperSpreader #COVID19 #PublicHealthRisk@verge

Videoconferencing capabilities offered by companies such as Zoom are shrinking in their importance to chief information officers, who are now turning to automation and artificial intelligence to compete in marketplaces reshaped by the pandemic. Analysts say that Zoom must innovate quickly to compete with other large tech companies that have added new features. The news comes as more companies delay return-to-work plans, most recently with Ford Motor Co. pushing its return-to-work hybrid plan to March.

The Great Resignation is Quickly Becoming The Great Revolt: 5 Actions Leaders Should Take Now - Entrepreneur

43% of employees say they have little opportunity for mobility at work - CNBC

Road congestion returns, but work-from-home leaves downtowns empty - Reuters

The excess savings that many Americans gained during the pandemic could run out for middle- and working-class households as early as next year, according to new research. Economists found that the fourfold increase in the nation’s personal saving rate seen in April 2020 was exhausted the most quickly by low-income families. A separate study found that the share of household wealth owned by billionaires rose by a record amount during the pandemic.

Homeownership Remains Key Asset to Americans’ Bottom Line - DS News

Meet the First-Generation Investors Teaching Their Parents About the Stock Market - Money

@RepTenney: "Filers who earned $50,000 to $100,000 received a tax break of about 15 percent to 17 percent, and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 in adjusted gross income saw their personal income taxes cut by around 11 percent to 13 percent."Read more

Instagram launched a new feature that urges teenagers to take breaks from the photo-sharing platform and other tools the company said will make the site safer for young people. The rollout comes one day before Instagram head Adam Mosseri testifies before Congress following internal company research that indicated use of the platform was linked to mental health and body-image problems in young users. Researchers in Australia found that while social media significantly shaped the pandemic experience for Millenials and Gen Z, they were also better able to navigate mis- and dis-information.

Better research into Instagram, WhatsApp effects on young users needed, academics say - USA Today

Three in four girls have been sent sexual images via apps, report finds - The Guardian

Social media use linked to depression in adults - NBC News

Lawyers and financial advisers are hearing more frequently from younger people who want to get their affairs in order in case of death. Nearly one-third of the adults under 35 who wrote a will said it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring unease brought forth by the pandemic and financial concerns such as sharply rising inflation.

Life after death: how the pandemic has transformed our psychic landscape - The Guardian

"Americans’ Pandemic-Era ‘Excess Savings’ Are Dwindling for Many" - The New York Times / Source: J.P. Morgan Chase Institute

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Pfizer said that a three-shot course of its COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralize the new omicron variant in a laboratory test, sending U.S. stock futures higher Wednesday morning. Two doses of the vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the variant, but the drugmaker said it could deliver an omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

Canadian drugmaker says plant-based coronavirus vaccine is effective in Phase 3 study - MarketWatch

State rep proposes unvaccinated in Illinois pay out of pocket for coronavirus care - TheHill

A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network on Tuesday rippled across businesses and disrupted services for more than five hours, underscoring the increasing reliance that U.S. companies and individuals have on Amazon Web Services. The outage backlogged package deliveries and took down streaming services and household devices connected to the Internet of Things, leaving thousands of people without working fridges or doorbells. The disruption even stretched to Walt Disney theme parks, preventing people from entering the park while the system was down.

Amazon's trucking ambitions bump up against driver shortage, competition - Reuters

Amazon Emerges as the Wage-and-Benefits Setter for Low-Skilled Workers Across Industries - The Wall Street Journal

@RepKatiePorter: System failures like these threaten the stability of our economy. Amazon Web Services controls 33% of the cloud services market—and all banks use the cloud. We need more federal oversight of cloud service providers to keep our financial systems secure.

The millions of workers who were driven into early retirement during the pandemic could be key to reviving the economy, some experts say. U.S. job openings continue to far outpace the number of available workers, with nearly five million more open positions than people seeking work. People under 40 who made up the majority of the Great Resignation say they are rethinking their pursuit of wealth.

Where Are the Workers? Millions Are Sick With ‘Long Covid.’ - Barron’s

Companies Plan Big Raises for Workers in 2022 - The Wall Street Journal

@NancyLeaMond: Americans age 55+ have left the workforce in big numbers since the start of the pandemic. What remains to be seen is if the departures are permanent. Either way, this will have a big impact on their long-term retirement security.

Olaf Scholz was formally appointed on Wednesday as the first new German chancellor in 16 years, succeeding Angela Merkel after winning a majority of votes in the lower house of parliament. Scholz's center-left Social Democratic Party will lead a coalition government that plans to raise the minimum wage and tackle climate issues.

Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February - Reuters

The new government promises to be tougher on China and Russia. - The New York Times

@kaitlancollins: Having led Germany for 16 years and 16 days, Merkel has narrowly missed on becoming the longest serving post-war Chancellor, trailing Helmut Kohl by mere 10 days.

Car crash deaths have surged in the pandemic as U.S. drivers became more likely to speed, drink or use drugs and leave their seat belts unbuckled. Experts say the increase in recklessness is likely a reflection of widespread feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression.

The pandemic worsened young people's mental health crisis. - The New York Times

Pandemic stress weighs heavily on Gen Z: AP-NORC, MTV poll - Associated Press

Thinning Hair? Blame The Pandemic Or Your Wandering Stem Cells - Forbes

"Pandemic stress weighs heavily on Gen Z: AP-NORC, MTV poll" - Associated Press / Source: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

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Turbine Labs has tracked 26,877 media articles and blogs and 31,584 social media posts over the last 24 hours.

The next Turbine Labs Leadership briefing will be delivered on Thursday, December 9, at 9:30AM ET.

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New studies of the omicron variant found that while it spreads more easily, it may cause less severe illness than its predecessors. Data on the variant is still scarce, but White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the news is “a bit encouraging.” The Biden administration on Sunday vowed to fast-track revamped vaccines that more effectively combat omicron.

Mix-and-match JandJ Covid booster raised immune response after Pfizer vaccine, study finds - CNN

South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave - Reuters

Variants, boosters turn rich-poor vaccine gap into chasm - Associated Press

Democrats are pushing for an end to foreign workers’ visa delays that they say are contributing to labor shortages and rising inflation. More than 1.3 million employment authorization applications were still pending at the end of June in addition to about 1.5 million immigrants waiting for employment-based green cards. Lawmakers are awaiting a decision from the Senate parliamentarian on whether immigration provisions can be included in the Build Back Better legislation.

The Number of Immigrant Workers With H1-B Visas Drops the Most in a Decade - Bloomberg

US needs immigration reform to prevent 9 million job vacancies over next decade: Report - Economic Times

Supply issues have reached U.S. offices with shortages in everything from ink and toner to lightbulbs, compounding challenges in getting employees back into the office. While many retailers are panicking over supply chain chaos, Amazon’s early moves to charter private cargo ships are now paying off, allowing the company to avoid the most congested ports and continue fast delivery times.

How a Cream Cheese Shortage Is Affecting N.Y.C. Bagel Shops - The New York Times

Peppermint purveyors find the ingredient in short-supply - KSDK

@crampell: One advantage of being big enough to charter own ships is you can opt for a different port if original destination is backed up. If you have 1 container on a big ship, ship goes where it goes—you can't course correct if there's a weeks-long wait to unload

The advertising market is growing much faster than forecasters had predicted, with digital advertising booming due to e-commerce. Digital ads made up 64% of total advertising in 2021, with between 80% and 90% going either to Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. or Amazon.com.

Digital land is selling for millions as people scramble to snatch up virtual real estate in the metaverse—and it could be a multitrillion-dollar opportunity - Fortune

Surface saver: How Microsoft’s deal with the NFL turned into a marketing boon for its tablet - Geekwire

@Adweek: Digital now makes up the lion's share of advertising spending and is expected to account for 64.4% of total advertising this year, up from 60.5% in 2020.

Weeks of flooding in Washington state have worsened a local economic crisis after killing dozens of cattle, prompting many in the dairy industry to lose their jobs. High prices, scant labor and choppy supply chains have made it even harder for the industry to recover.

Despite Supply Chain Chaos, Dairy Exports On Track to Hit a New Record in 2021 - AgWeb

Climate Change Data Deluge Has Scientists Scrambling for Solutions - The Wall Street Journal

"The Number of Immigrant Workers With H1-B Visas Drops the Most in a Decade" - Bloomberg / Source: Department of Labor

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Turbine Labs has tracked 10,301 media articles and blogs and 9,510 social media posts over the last 24 hours.

The next Turbine Labs Leadership briefing will be delivered on Tuesday, December 7, at 9:30AM ET.

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The number of people filing jobless claims rose to 222,000 in the week ending Nov. 27 signaling that employers are continuing to fight for their workers in a tight labor market. Claims still remained near pandemic lows, highlighting overall improvements in the labor market. An increasing number of economists are joining a chorus of those who say the omicron variant of COVID-19 may pose a threat to the labor market and overall economy in the coming weeks.

Stock futures rise ahead of jobless claims, despite omicron concerns - Fox Business

Here’s why unemployment claims hit their lowest level since 1969 - CNBC

@jbartash: LAYOFF WATCH: U.S. jobless claims jump 28,000 to 222,000 in Nov. 27 week. Still a pandemic low, but the government’s seasonal adjustments around Thanksgiving have been funky the past two weeks. New claims might not be quite that low. We'll know for sure in next few weeks ...

A fully vaccinated individual in California became the first person in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant. In an effort to combat the spread, President Joe Biden plans to tighten COVID-19 testing timelines for travelers entering the U.S. as well as extend a public transportation mask mandate. International travelers will now have to be tested within a day of departure. The travel restrictions pose a great threat to the tourism businesses that were just finding their footing after nearly two years of devastation wrought by the pandemic.

Glaxo’s Covid-19 Antibody Drug Found to Be Effective Against Omicron - The Wall Street Journal

Biden asks businesses to proceed with vaccine mandate after omicron variant arrives in US - CNBC

@kiranshaw: Travel bans do more harm than good says ⁦@WHO⁩ - vaccines can protect against severe disease even if they can’t prevent Omicron reinfection. With vaccines, oral anti virals n antibody treatments we ought not to panic n have better preparedness ⁦@doctorsoumya

A group of Republican Senators is threatening to postpone action on a spending bill necessary to avert a lapse in federal funding unless the Senate also bars enforcement of Biden’s vaccine mandate for large employers. Democrats and Republicans remain at odds over how long a temporary stopgap measure should stretch into 2022, with both parties admitting the funding deadline approaching on Friday has increased the leverage of lawmakers pressing their own agendas.

States offer jobless aid to workers fired over employer vaccine requirement - CBS News

House Democrats grow antsy to pass shutdown fix ahead of Friday cliff - Politico

@BriannaATucker: Republican senators sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader @SenSchumer on Wednesday and vowed “to use all means at our disposal to oppose” any bill that funds enforcement of Biden's vaccine mandate. @theodoricmeyer @jaxalemany @tobiaraji

World food prices neared a record high last month, rising for a fourth straight month in November. The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index rose 1.2% last month, providing additional evidence that soaring inflation is making it harder for the poorest nations to import food. The rise can be partially attributed to an increase in demand for wheat and dairy products, bad weather hurting harvests, worker shortages and higher shipping rates.

'I can’t even afford to buy a cart of groceries': Spiraling inflation leaves some grocery workers struggling - NBC News

'It's like whack-a-mole': Short supply of groceries leads to increasing prices with no end in sight - Delaware Online

Return-to-work plans have been disrupted once again over concerns surrounding the omicron variant as more employers are considering implementing their own vaccine requirements. A survey of 543 employers found that 57% of all organizations said they already require or plan to require vaccinations. The average daily coronavirus counts are lower than levels seen last year but are on the rise.

Will the Vaccines Stop Omicron? Scientists Are Racing to Find Out. -...

The U.S. economy added merely 210,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.2% from 4.6%, according to the Labor Department. Economists polled by Bloomberg expected a gain of nearly 550,000 jobs and the unemployment rate to fall slightly to 4.5%. Leisure and hospitality saw a gain of just 23,000 after being a leading job creator for much of the economic recovery since the start of the pandemic.

Private payrolls post better-than-expected growth of 534,000 in November, ADP says - CNBC

Google said Thursday it will not be requiring its employees to return to the office on Jan. 10 as previously announced but is instead indefinitely pushing back the January plan amid growing concerns over the omicron variant. The company’s security VP announced the delay in an email, saying Google will wait until the new year to assess when U.S. offices can safely return to a “stable, long-term working environment."

Omicron may throw wrench in companies' plans to return to office - Reuters

The Future Of Work From Home - Newsy

@JohnMarionjr: I’ve been grappling with how we can hold effective meetings in a hybrid format where some are gathering in-person and others are online. It looks like some tech help might be on the way, though I remain skeptical.

Congress passed a short-term government funding bill on Thursday to prevent a government shutdown before the imminent fiscal deadline. The Senate voted 69-28 to advance the continuing resolution after the bill was approved by the House. It will now be sent to Biden to sign to keep the government funded until Feb. 18. The successful votes ended a brief tense period that would have brought Washington to a halt Saturday.

More than $87 billion in federal benefits siphoned from unemployment system, says Labor Department - CNBC

@RepAdamSchiff: The House just averted a government shutdown. This continuing resolution will ensure that we uphold our promise to workers, families, veterans, and seniors. And it will allow us to stay focused on passing critical legislation like expanding child care and improving health care.

The Transportation Security Administration issued two new security directives Thursday that require all U.S. freight and passenger rail systems to report certain cybersecurity incidents to the Department of Homeland Security within 24 hours. The orders will affect roughly 90% of U.S. passenger rail systems and 80% of freight rail systems that are considered “high risk.”

U.S. imposes first cybersecurity rules for rail transit, despite industry pushback - CBS News

Big Tech Privacy Moves Spur Companies to Amass Customer Data - The Wall Street Journal

@ericgeller: The new rail rules don't require companies to patch any vulnerabilities they discover. A sr DHS official said this was b/c, unlike w/ pipelines, TSA didn't already publish cyber guidance for rail operators. Initial directives thus focused on “baseline requirements."

Although the retail industry is no stranger to theft and organized crime, a spate of store heists and organized mobs are hitting stores such as Nordstrom, Best Buy, Home Depot and Louis Vuitton much more often this year, shaking the retail industry and creating new challenges for law enforcement. Large-scale “smash-and-grabs” have been on the rise this year, but experts are predicting they hit a critical mass in late November when stores were piled high with holiday inventory.

Psaki says root cause of organized retail crime is the COVID-19 pandemic - Fox Business

@AGAshleyMoody: Lawlessness and out-of-control mobs are plaguing retailers in major cities outside of FL. We will not permit these types of crime sprees here. To prevent organized retail theft, today I launched FORCE—empowering investigators and prosecutors to stop ORT.

"Renewed U.S. Jobs Strength Confronts Fresh Challenge in Omicron" - Bloomberg / Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bloomberg

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Inflation talks are far from over, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The organization anticipates the pickup in global inflation rates will be sharper and longer-lasting than previously anticipated, with a risk that the world grows accustomed to quick price increases. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that as the central bank grows wary of high inflation, it could speed up its plan to withdraw financial support from the economy.

Omicron threatens to intensify supply shortages and inflation, OECD warns - Financial Times

As Omicron, Supply-Chain Problems Loom, Eurozone Inflation Hits Record - The Wall Street Journal

Time To Ready Yourself For Inflation - Forbes

@elerianm: Notable US yield curve flattening as the Fed Chair’s belated inflation U-turn coincides with Omicron growth concerns. Illustrates why it would have been so much better policy to correct the mischaraterization of inflation months ago. There certainly were certainly enough indicators

U.S. consumer confidence in November fell to a nine-month low as rising prices and coronavirus concerns fueled economic uncertainty. The confidence index dropped to a reading of 109.5, a 2.1 point drop from October and the lowest reading since the index reached 95.2 in February. The survey predicted consumers will continue to be less enthusiastic about buying a house and big-ticket items in the coming months.

U.S. Consumer Spending Powers Ahead Despite Inflation Pickup - Bloomberg

@jbartash: Americans are saying one thing but doing another. They say they worry about inflation and Covid, but they're spending and buying lots of stuff. That's why consumer confidence can fall to a 9-month low, as it did in November, but the economy keeps growing.

A labor group is accusing Amazon of reporting “misleading or grossly incomplete” data about the number of coronavirus infections spread at its U.S. facilities. Amazon had at least 20,000 employees test positive for COVID-19 last year, but said only 27 of those cases were contracted while the employees were at work, representing a “hidden pandemic,” according to a coalition of four unions.

Amazon to pay California $500,000 for 'concealing' COVID cases among workers - Los Angeles Times

Amazon touts record post-Thanksgiving sales amid lackluster Black Friday, Cyber Monday for retailers - CNBC

Amazon warehouse workers get to re-do their union vote in Alabama - NPR

For the first time dating back to when the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute began surveying Americans about national security, Americans listed China as the nation’s top national security threat and reported their trust in the U.S. military dropped to its lowest levels in three years. Just over 50% of Americans named China as the greatest threat to the U.S., a 21% increase from four years ago, while Russia received 14% of the votes.

GOP lawmakers fear China could hack U.S. government computing clouds - The Washington Post

MI6 boss warns of China 'debt traps and data traps' - BBC News

U.S. home prices rose significantly in September, signaling that the housing market is booming following last year’s coronavirus recession. Home prices rose 19.5% in September year over year, down from a 19.8% annual gain in August, according to the SandP CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index. Phoenix reported the nation’s hottest market with a 33.1% price increase. Additionally, nearly 27% of U.S. consumers said they applied for a credit card in the past year.

Where the housing market is going in 2022 as told by 7 leading forecast models - Fortune

Mortgage refinance demand plunged 15% last week, but could now reverse - CNBC

@Jkylebass: One doesn’t need to be a highly-paid Fed Economist to realize that injecting 40% more broad money into the US monetary system results in a concomitant 40% surge in rents and asset prices. @federalreserve @usatoday #inflation #rent

"Denver metro's "true" unemployment is much...

Stock futures dropped and investors took to government bonds after Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and other drugmakers raised concerns that vaccines and antibody-drug cocktails will not work as well against the Omicron variant. Economists said the global economy could suffer from the variant, potentially undermining policy plans to focus on inflation rather than weak demand. Many countries have already imposed travel restrictions, shaking consumer and corporate confidence and likely limiting holiday economic activity.

Fragmented Reactions Hinder Global Fight Against Omicron Variant - The New York Times

Omicron lockdown not needed for now, Biden says - BBC News

NYC Issues Mask Advisory Due To New Omicron Variant - Forbes​​

@jeannasmialek: Jerome Powell: "The recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant pose downside risks to employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation.

The Biden administration announced Monday that it would delay issuing suspensions or other serious penalties in accordance with the federal vaccine mandate until 2022. The American Federation of Government Employees said that for now, agencies will continue offering counseling and education to the roughly 3.5% of workers who have yet to receive a vaccination or request an exemption.

Most employers will require workers to get COVID shots, survey shows - USA Today

Judge temporarily blocks Biden administration vaccine mandate for health-care workers in 10 states - The Washington Post

Rising inflation is leading to price increases across the supply chain as gas prices continue to rise, but the surge in oil prices is just getting started, according to JPMorgan Chase. A report warned clients that Brent crude oil will hit $125 a barrel next year and $150 in 2023, more than double today's Brent price of $73.50. The increase can partially be attributed to more people driving, but oil-exporting countries have chosen to increase production slowly instead of opening the traps, in part due to pressure to limit environmental damage.

America’s Power Plants Are Low on Coal - The Wall Street Journal

Oil firms face workforce crunch as renewables beckon -survey - Reuters

Putting gasoline prices in perspective - Axios

@RuhleOnMSNBC: As Americans hit the road to travel this Thanksgiving weekend, gas prices were a top talker at the dinner table. @SRuhle explains what you need to know about the cost of gas. #ForFactsSake

The Federal Trade Commission asked Amazon.com, Procter and Gamble, Walmart and others for information about how they are handling the supply chain shortages as part of a study into whether the problems have led to anticompetitive behavior and higher prices. The FTC hopes the request helps them understand the reasons behind the widespread supply-chain problems hindering economic growth.

The Biden administration, under fire for supply chain woes, says stores will be fully stocked for the holidays. - The New York Times

Amazon illegally interfered with failed union vote, federal official says - CNET

FTC orders Walmart, Amazon, Kroger and more to turn over information on empty shelves, high prices - USA T​​today

The pandemic continues to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment. The number of unincorporated self-employed workers has risen by 500,000 to 9.44 million since the start of the pandemic, according to Labor Department data, the highest total since the 2008 financial crisis. Entrepreneurs are taking to online marketplaces like Etsy which has increased its active sellers by 2.6 million since 2019.

How to leverage the Great Resignation if you actually like your job and want to stay - CNBC

Remote work has a downside. Here’s why I want to go back to the office - Fast Company

@AndrewCrow: We need to change the narrative around "remote work". In a future where many people can work anywhere, everyone is remote – including those in an office. Striving for equity in collaboration experience is the

A new coronavirus variant, dubbed the omicron variant, sent the world into high alert over the holiday weekend, driving a sharp increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations across South Africa. Governments around the world announced travel restrictions that target African regions, triggering resentment among Africans who believed that the continent was again being the target of Western countries' panicked policies. The World Health Organization believes the omicron variant poses a "very high" risk as it may be more transmissible than other strains of the virus.

How Omicron Variant Rattled the World in One Week - The Wall Street Journal

How vaccine makers plan to address the new COVID-19 omicron variant - NPR

@SeanDefoe: Ten possible cases of the Omicron variant in Ireland have been sent for full genome sequencing. They were selected from positive Covid tests as they show a thing called 'S-gene dropout' which is linked with variants, not all of which are Omicron

Inflation rose at its fastest pace in October since the early 1990s, according to the Commerce Department. Consumer spending rose 1.3% for the month. Minutes from the Fed’s November meeting showed worries about inflation dominated the monthly policy meeting, with officials saying they would be willing to raise interest rates if prices keep rising. Additionally, jobless claims plummeted to the lowest level in more than half a century at 199,000, another sign of a post-pandemic economic rebound.

High inflation? Low polling? White House blames the pandemic - Associated Press

Millennials Confront High Inflation for the First Time - The New York Times

@RBReich: We need to talk about the deeper structural reason for inflation, one that appears to be growing worse: the concentration of the American economy in the hands of a few corporate giants with the power to raise prices.

The Biden administration on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to lift the court-ordered stay on stay on the sweeping workplace COVID-19 vaccination mandate, urging the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to at least alternatively allow a masking-and-testing requirement. One day after the Biden administration’s deadline for compliance, 92% of the 3.5 million federal workers covered by the mandate reported they are at least partially vaccinated.

A flood of covid patients causes ‘almost unmanageable’ strain in Michigan as cases rise nationwide - The Washington Post

Some Hospitals Prepare to Lose Staff Over Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate - The Wall Street Journal

According to ADP’s People at Work 2021 poll, 64% of the global workforce reported being negatively impacted by COVID-19, with 28% saying they lost a job, were furloughed or were temporarily laid off. Additionally, 75% of the global workforce made changes or planned to change how or where they live. Gallup research suggests that one of the ways to combat the Great Resignation is to have a best friend at work as it links directly to how much employees put into their roles.

How the Covid-19 Pandemic Changed Employee Training - The Wall Street Journal

The benefits of not joining the Great Resignation - BBC

@mkobach: There’s a rare opportunity for most cities/states/counties to reinvent themselves by optimizing for remote work. The economic spoils will go to the places that figure this out the fastest.

Air travel in the U.S. soared over Thanksgiving, as more than 2.3 million Americans flew for the holiday, setting a pandemic record close to 2019 numbers. Airport passenger daily volumes exceeded two million people for seven straight days through Wednesday, Nov. 24, with very few flight cancelations, signaling a shift from the problems that have plagued air travel in recent months.

The Holiday Travel Crush Has Begun. Are the Airlines Up to It? - The New York Times

@StackhouseJohn: US holiday air travel 2x last year. Road traffic will be similar. How will we fuel this demand next year and beyond? #economy #ChartoftheDay

"Millennials...

Zoom Video Communications sales growth slowed last quarter as the demand for remote work and video conferencing eased. Zoom has been unable to maintain the heady growth it experienced at the pandemic’s start when organizations leaned heavily into remote work and now faces increased competition, like Microsoft’s Teams application.

Will Zoom be able to withstand workers returning to the office? - MarketWatch

Pandemic Stocks Have Become Passé - The New York Times

@danielnewmanUV: Big day for @Zoom. Market seems to be skeptical of its results. Last quarter 54% revenue growth was met with disdain. I would like to see that level this quarter to show strength despite reopening and increased mobility. Likely very volatile on results. $ZM #Collaboration #Earnings

With COVID-19 cases climbing, more companies are considering fees and surcharges for unvaccinated workers. The grocery chain Harmons and JP Morgan Chase are two companies telling unvaccinated employees they will pay more for health insurance if they remain unvaccinated. A September survey found nearly 20% of large companies were considering raising insurance premiums for those evading the shot.

What kind of costs can unvaccinated workers ring up for a business? - Marketplace

Vaccine-or-test work rules are proving costly for governments - USA Today

@KUOW: "This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company."

Restrictions related to voice-only telehealth loosened when state and federal governments temporarily eased privacy and security restrictions early in the pandemic, largely benefiting elderly and rural residents. Today, these rules are rapidly shifting with nearly 1,000 proposals pending before state and federal legislatures that address extending telehealth, while Medicare, for example, says it will cover audio-only visits through 2023.

Harris announces $1.5B to fight shortage of doctors in underserved communities - The Hill

Employers Beefed Up Telemedicine Benefits During Pandemic as Family Premiums Climbed - Inc.

Telehealth Rollbacks Leave Patients Stranded, Some Doctors Say - The Wall Street Journal

Thousands of people at more than 25 companies went on strike this fall as workers leveraged the national labor shortage and the Great Resignation to demand changes. A 35-day worker strike at Deere and Co. ended last week, days before the construction and equipment manufacturer reports quarterly earnings and its profit outlook for next year.

Low wage, essential workers demand better protections in California - PBS NewsHour

Strikes Sweep Labor Market as Workers Flex New Leverage - The Wall Street Journal

Labor Shortage? Depends on Who You Ask. - Entrepreneur

The online, U.K.-based bank Atom Bank introduced a four-day work week for its 430 employees without cutting their pay in an effort to improve wellbeing and retain staff. Two studies between 2015 and 2019 trailing a four-day work week at the same rate of pay found no corresponding drop in productivity among participants and a dramatic increase in employee wellbeing.

Is the Four-Day Workweek Finally Within Our Grasp? - The New York Times

What do employees say would reduce burnout? Less work - CIO Dive

"Zoom Has Some Unhappy Hours Remaining" - The Wall Street Journal / Source: Zoom; Visible Alpha

CONTENT FACTS

Turbine Labs has tracked 16,129 media articles and blogs and 17,920 social media posts over the last 24 hours.

The next Turbine Labs Leadership briefing will be delivered on Monday, November 29, at 9:30AM ET.

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