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

CONTENT FACTS

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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