First U.S. case of COVID-19 omicron variant identified
A person in California who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 became the first in the United States to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday.
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Capital One drops all overdraft fees, latest bank to do so
A number other banks have announced this year—Ally Bank and regional banking giant PNC for example—that they would end overdraft fees or create programs that would greatly lower the chance a customer would get hit with an overdraft fees.
GM venture to build North American battery chemical plant
The plant will employ hundreds of people and will start making materials in 2024, said Doug Parks, GM’s global product development and supply chain head.
At historic abortion arguments, conservative justices signal changes
The high court is hearing arguments Wednesday in which the justices are being asked to overrule the court’s historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe.
U.S. moving to toughen testing requirement for travelers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday statement that it was working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested for COVID-19 within a day before boarding their flight.
FDA panel backs first-of-a-kind COVID-19 pill from Merck
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the antiviral drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used during pregnancy.
California faces challenge to law requiring women on corporate boards
A judge will begin hearing evidence Wednesday that could undo the law credited with giving more women seats in boardrooms traditionally dominated by men. The California law has spurred other states to adopt or consider similar laws.
Powell says Fed might accelerate pullback in economic support
Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve will consider acting more quickly to dial back its ultra-low-interest rate policies to counter higher inflation. His remarks quickly accelerated losses on Wall Street.
LSU, Kelly agree to 10-year contract worth at least $95M
The hiring of Brian Kelly—who has led Notre Dame for the past 12 seasons and eclipsed Knute Rockne for career victories with the storied Fighting Irish—was formally announced Tuesday in yet another blockbuster coaching move in college football.
November delivers another hit to sinking consumer confidence
Even before the omicron variant appeared, consumer optimism was being tested by price spikes across the board, particularly for gasoline and food.
New info shows omicron spread wider earlier than thought
New findings about the coronavirus’s omicron variant made it clear Tuesday that the emerging threat slipped into countries before their defenses were up.
FDA panel set to review Merck’s COVID-19 pill
If authorized, Merck’s pill would be the first that U.S. patients could take at home to ease symptoms and speed recovery, but new information released last week paints a less compelling picture of the drug than when the Merck first publicized its early results in October.
Powell says COVID variant clouds inflation, economic outlook
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant could slow the economy and hiring.
Cyber Monday caps robust holiday shopping weekend
Americans are spending freely and going back to store shopping, knocking out some of the momentum in online sales from last year when Americans were making many of their purchases exclusively via the internet.
Biden vaccine mandate for health workers blocked in 10 states
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought the first legal challenge against the requirement.
LSU hires football coach Kelly away from Notre Dame
Brian Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history earlier this season, surpassing Knute Rockne. No previous head football coach has ever left the Irish to take a job at another school.
Indianapolis Public Schools latest district to join vaping suit
The 2018 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey found that more than one-third of Indiana high school students had used a Juul product.
Wall Street steadies following last week’s omicron-related slide
The most powerful lift for stocks came from those that have been able to grow strongly almost regardless of the economy’s strength or pandemic’s pall.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey steps down as CEO
Dorsey has faced several distractions as CEO, starting with the fact that he’s also founder and CEO of the payments company Square. Some big investors have openly questioned whether he could effectively lead both companies.
Sports conferences ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 launch mental health initiative
Teammates for Mental Health will be unveiled this week during basketball games involving the three conferences, including the ACC/Big Ten women’s and men’s challenges.