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

CONTENT FACTS

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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