Good morning. It's Wednesday, Jan. 5, and we're covering the continuing shift in the labor market, a precarious traffic jam outside the nation's capital, and more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].
|
|
|
|
One Million Cases (in 24 Hours)
|
The US reported more than 1 million COVID-19 cases Monday, far surpassing previous peaks seen last winter and during the summer's delta variant surge. Officials say the surge is driven by a reporting backlog from the New Year's weekend, holiday travel, and the emergence of the omicron variant.
More than 1 in 100 Americans has tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week, 95% of which were caused by the omicron variant. Almost 113,000 patients have been hospitalized with the virus—around 20,000 are occupying ICU beds or 26% of total ICU beds from reporting hospitals (see dashboard).
The US is averaging near 1,250 COVID-19 deaths per day, a figure that has thus far held steady while cases skyrocket. The most recent data on breakthrough infections suggest fully vaccinated patients accounted for less than 10% of deaths (data here).
In related news, the Chicago Teachers Union voted to temporarily revert to remote learning, prompting city officials to cancel school today. Track school closures from around the country here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Job Exits Hit Record High
|
An estimated 4.5 million workers voluntarily quit their jobs in the month of November, according to government data released yesterday. The quits rate, the percentage of resignations relative to total employment, hit 3% for the month—matching the rate in September. Both figures are the highest on record.
Economists say workers being able to quit their gigs for better jobs is a sign of a healthy economy, though some analysts fear high quit rates could lead to higher wage inflation. The data showed 6.7 million new hires were made in November, with 10.6 million job openings on the last business day of the month.
Experts have cited pandemic burnout, a shift in worker priorities, and better opportunities as reasons for what’s been known as the Great Resignation. The data on the labor market—including the government’s employment report expected to be released Friday—helps the Federal Reserve determine interest-rate policy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hundreds of drivers were stuck on a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia in below-freezing temperatures for more than 24 hours yesterday, many passengers with no food or water. The traffic pileup was caused after multiple trucks crashed during a major winter storm Monday. Also contributing to the gridlock was ice accumulating around the stranded vehicles, making it difficult for workers to clear the roads. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) declined calls to bring in the National Guard.
The storm blanketed several states Monday, dumping nearly a foot of snow on the Washington, DC, area. At one point, more than 300,000 people were without power, and many schools were closed by the storm. In addition, five deaths across three states were reported.
A family traveling home from Florida handed out oranges to hungry passengers, including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who was among those stuck on the interstate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enjoy reading? Share 1440 with your three closest friends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In partnership with Electric
|
How do you tune out distractions? How about removing the distractions altogether? Stop wasting your time on your company's IT, and start doing what you do best: focusing on strategy, not day-to-day security, onboarding/offboarding, and IT support. And today, if you take a qualified demo with Electric, they'll take IT off your plate ... plus they'll put a free pair of Beats Solo3 in your ears.
That's right; Electric is giving away free pairs of Beats Solo3 to show off just how much time and hassle they can save you. If you're an IT decision-maker at a US company with 15-500 employees, this is for you! Enjoy a whole new level of IT support with Electric's offering, including proactive security standardization across devices, streamlined employee onboarding/offboarding, and lightning-fast chat support with 130+ experienced IT specialists. Over 600 companies use Electric for their IT needs, and Forrester's Total Economic Impact report has determined it yields a 105% ROI.
Imagine how much time Electric can add back to your day. Sign up for a qualified meeting today to claim your Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones.
|
Please support our sponsors!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
|
> The 2022 Golden Globes to proceed Jan. 9 despite omicron concerns; ceremony will not have audience in attendance or celebrity red carpet (More)
> Washington Football Team to unveil new name Feb. 2; officially rule out fan favorites Wolves and RedWolves as options due to trademark concerns (More)
> NBC late night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers both test positive for COVID-19; Meyers' "Late Night" canceled for rest of week (More)
|
|
|
|
|
|
> China sets record with experimental fusion reactor, sustaining a 216-million-degree plasma for more than 17 minutes (More) | How tokamak reactors work to drive fusion power (More)
> BlackBerry formally ends service for classic smartphones; once claiming 85 million users, the company rapidly lost market share to Android and iPhone devices over the past decade (More)
> Hundreds of new bacteria and viruses identified on the human skin; species shed light on the diversity of the skin microbiome (More) | What is a microbiome? (More)
|
|
|
|
|
|
> Industrial stocks lead Dow (+0.6%) to another record high; tech stocks weigh down broader markets: S&P 500 -0.1%, Nasdaq -1.3% (More)
> Toyota sold the most cars in the US in 2021; first time since 1931 General Motors hasn’t been top US auto seller (More) | Shares of Ford up over 10% after announcing company will nearly double production of electric F-150 to meet demand (More)
> Sports e-commerce giant Fanatics to acquire Topps trading cards in deal valued at approximately $500M (More)
|
|
|
|
|
|
> Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) will not face criminal charges linked to sexual misconduct allegations; Albany County district attorney says the complaint was credible but evidence insufficient to meet the burden of proof in court (More)
> Federal judge hears motion to dismiss sexual abuse complaint against Britain's Prince Andrew; 38-year-old Virginia Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince as part of Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex trafficking ring (More)
> Canada reaches $31B deal to compensate Indigenous children and families harmed by the on-reserve child welfare system; marks the country's largest class-action settlement (More)
|
|
|
|
|
|
BEAT(S) SUBPAR IT SUPPORT
|
Please support our sponsors!
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off—it's with you all the time."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enjoy reading? Forward this email to a friend.
|
Why 1440? The printing press was invented in the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. Guess what else? There are 1,440 minutes in a day and every one is precious. That’s why we scour hundreds of sources every day to provide a concise, comprehensive, and objective view of what's happening in the world. Reader feedback is a gift—shoot us a note at [email protected].
|
Interested in advertising to smart readers like you? Apply here!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
