Goldman Sachs told its U.S. employees to work from home for the first two weeks of the year, joining Wall Street competitors that had already given similar instructions as COVID-19 infections surge. Bank of America previously announced plans encouraging employees to work remotely for the first week of January and JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also told employees to work from home.

The 'Great Redefinition' Of Work In 2022 - Forbes

After a muted New Year's weekend, US braces for more Covid disruptions as students return to school - CNN

Wastewater samples reveal record levels of coronavirus across US - NBC News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering adding testing requirements to its new isolation guidelines for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, though it’s still unclear whether positive tests would require further isolation. The CDC has received pushback on its new guidelines announced last week that shortened its isolation recommendation to five days.

Manufacturers rush to ramp up rapid COVID test production as demand soars - NPR

'CDC Says' Jokes Trend After New Covid-19 Isolation, Quarantine Guideline Changes - Forbes

@palafo: CDC guidance has said vaccinated people don’t have to quarantine if exposed but should get tested 5 days later. Testing experts, however, say that’s not soon enough for fast-incubating Omicron. The best times to test are on Days 2, 3 and 4 after exposure.

A notable rush of funding has flooded the high-risk category of early-stage startups in the past year as investors try to get into companies before they have a staff or product. While the startup sector has been deluged with increasing amounts of cash for much of the past decade most has traditionally gone to later-stage private companies. In 2021, investors pumped $93 million into seed-stage and early-stage startups in the U.S., compared to $52 billion for all of 2020.

US Investors Revisit Africa, Helping Startups Cap Record Year - Bloomberg

Record number of unicorns and IPOs: Indian startups raised $39B in 2021 - TechCrunch

@eliotwb: I wrote a story on startups including a company that wants to recreate the wooly mammoth and has raised $16 M and its slide decks says its monetization options include “mammoth park attractions"

Experts predict 2022 will largely remain an employee’s market, but that trend will slowly fade. There are currently a lot of job openings and people looking for work can often take their pick or negotiate for what they want. The economy has seldom seen such a mismatch between so much demand for workers and so few people willing to work, prompting questions about how much some of America’s most vital sectors can continue to rely on a relatively low-paid workforce.

Stocks Face Rockier Path in 2022 as Fed Rate Increases Loom - The Wall Street Journal

What Social Trends Told Us About the American Economy in 2021 - The New York Times

Global economy and development in 2021: What we learned in Brookings Global - Brookings

Studies show many Americans are struggling to make basic decisions and having even more difficulty when it comes to major life choices, largely due to the pandemic. Experts say milestone moments, like the start of a new year, can push humans toward big-picture thinking. A new exhibit at the Smithsonian is offering a solution to those facing decision fatigue – AI that generates New Year’s resolutions.

Decision-making in the time of omicron - NPR

Going Out and Worried About Covid Safety? There’s a Calculator for That. - The New York Times

Coronavirus risk calculations get harder as a study suggests rapid tests may be less effective at detecting omicron - The Washington Post

@NHendersonWSJ: Worn out from nearly two years of the pandemic, many of us are paralyzed when it comes to major life choices and quotidian decisions alike

"The most unusual job market in modern American history, explained" - The Washington Post / Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics...