Newsletter Dec 24, 2021

It's Christmas Eve and many Americans find themselves in the same situation they were in last year -- coping with COVID and economic uncertainty.

3 things you must know

Inflation has Americans entering another year of uncertainty
Inflation continues to weigh heavily on the minds and finances of many Americans, according to the latest surveys of consumer confidence and expectations. U.S. consumers' evaluations of their finances were unchanged from the low levels that were recorded last month as inflation rose 5.7% over last year, the highest since 1982.
FIND OUT WHY AMERICANS AREN'T HOPEFUL ABOUT 2022

Hectic holiday travel weekend hits as Omicron variant spikes
Millions of Americans are on the move during the busy travel days before Christmas, even as COVID infections with Omicron surpass the peak of the Delta wave and hospitals run out of beds for patients. Travelers are facing a grim Friday of flying as the "nationwide spike in Omicron cases" impacts flight crews and other operations.
GET THE OUTLOOK FOR THE HOLIDAY TRAVEL WEEKEND

WHO declares COVID-19 is here to stay as permanent endemic
COVID-19 is making its presence permanent, according to the World Health Organization, which said the virus is â€œon its wayâ€ to becoming endemic. That means it will persist in our population and settle to a constant rate of occurrence, highlighting the importance of immunity.
WHAT AN ENDEMIC WILL MEAN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Markets

Amazon settlement helps workers unionize

A settlement finalized between Amazon and the National Labor Relations Board has made it easier for Amazon workers to unionize. Six unnamed Amazon workers said the company limited their ability to organize as employees of the company across the U.S. continue to push for a union.

SEE WHAT AMAZON TOLD IBT ABOUT ITS UNIONIZATION VIEWS

Omicron alters Fauci's holiday party advice

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans about large holiday gatherings just before Christmas as the Omicron variant now makes up at least 73% of all COVID-19 cases across the country. Fauci issued the warning for both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people with booster shots to â€œstay away from large gatherings" of 30 or more and stick to small family functions.

FIND OUT THE LATEST NUMBERS ON OMICRON AND DELTA CASES

NYC issues mask mandate for New Year's

A midnight kiss won't be easy at Times Square this New Year's Eve as New York City will be instituting a mandatory mask policy for attendees to the celebrations to protect citizens from the Omicron virus. Outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio detailed the measures to ensure the annual New Yearâ€™s Eve party doesn't become a superspreader for COVID-19.

SEE THE MEASURES NYC IS TAKING TO CURTAIL COVID'S SPREAD

SPONSORED CONTENT

Itâ€™s time to crack the code with machine learning. Experts at VantagePoint want to show you the A.I. forecasting tool they have been fine-tuning for over 40 years. This A.I. gives you that edge youâ€™ve been searching for. How? It recognizes patterns and forecasts trends up to 3 days in advance.

Reserve your seat in this complimentary LIVE TRAINING now! Real results will be proven.

Dropping the ball

What year did Times Square first host the annual New Year's Eve ball drop, and what unusual maritime tradition is the basis for the ceremony?

Thursday's answer: The Soviet Union launched an invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, 1979. It eventually withdrew in 1989.

Fast Start fever

Thanks for reading Fast Start. If you like it, tell your friends about it. If you don't, kindly keep it to yourself. Forward today's copy to some of your friends and tell them to let us know you sent them our way.

HERE'S THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOUR FRIENDS WILL NEED

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

IBTimes will always protect your security and privacy. Please read our detailed Privacy Policy. Please do not reply to this email. Click here to adjust your notification preferences or unsubscribe.Â