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What Happened: Despite the wave of omicron infections, the US economy added 467,000 jobs in January, an unexpected strong hiring gain for the month. Unemployment increased slightly to 4.0%, up from 3.9% last month Overall, economists say the US economy looks to be heading in the right direction despite the highest inflation rate in four decades. The FED announced earlier this month that it would raise interest rates starting in March to combat inflation. Photo Credit: Gerd Al

What Happened: According to the Labor Department, the US economy added a modest 199,000 jobs in December, demonstrating that employers are still having difficulty filling positions as many Americans continue to be reluctant to return to the workforce. Concerns over inflation, a labor shortage and yet another surge in Covid cases may have contributed to the sluggish growth. Despite some of these concerns, unemployment dropped down to 3.9%, the lowest it has been since the star

What Happened: On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine booster shot for children as young as 12. Booster shots had already been approved for everyone 16 and older. The FDA also said everyone 12 or older may receive their booster shot as early as five months after their last dose, rather than the original six months. Said FDA vaccine chief, Dr. Peter Marks, the decision was made because the booster shots "may help provide bette

What Happened: On Wednesday, US regulators authorized the use of Pfizer's Covid-19 treatment pill for adults and children ages 12 and older. This is the first such pill to receive government authorization. The pill is meant to be self-administered by patients at their homes and can help stave off the worst effects of the virus. The approval comes as the United States faces another surge of new cases brought on by the omicron variant. The drug, Paxlovid, is said to help reduce

What Happened: On Wednesday, the number of fully vaccinated Americans against Covid-19 passed 200 million. Despite reaching this milestone, new Covid cases are up 25% from a month ago to nearly 119,000 per week. Although the spike is not as bad as last year, the colder weather, increased travel and a public already tired of Covid-related restrictions are all believed to play a role in the recent surge. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) continues to recommend booster shots

What Happened: According to the Labor Department, the US economy added 210,000 jobs in November, one of the weakest monthly gains over the last year and a steep drop-off after around 546,000 jobs were added in October. Concerns over inflation, a labor shortage and a still present pandemic may have contributed to the sluggish growth. Despite some of these concerns, unemployment dropped down to 4.2%, the lowest it has been since the start of the pandemic and 0.4% lower than las

What Happened: On Friday, several nations stopped air traffic from Southern Africa as a new Covid-19 variant has been discovered in the region. The European and Asian markets fell as investors reacted to the news of the new variant. Said German Health Minister Jens Spahn, "The last thing we need is to bring in a new variant that will cause even more problems." The 27-nation European Union is already amidst a surge in Covid-19 cases. Although research of the variant is still l

What Happened: On Monday, the United States fully reopened its borders to international travelers. The restrictions, which had been imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, lasted for 20 months and took a major toll on the travel industry. Photo Source: Wix Media #newspura #justfactsnoopinions #news #breaking #covid19 #coronavirus #travel #usborder #breakingnews

What Happened: On Thursday, the Biden administration released new rules requiring that companies with 100 or more employees either be fully vaccinated or provide weekly Covid-19 testing of unvaccinated employees. Unvaccinated employees will also have to use a mask at the workplace. The new requirements are the strictest the Biden administration has implemented thus far and are estimated to apply to roughly 84 million Americans. They are also the first regulations to carry a f

What Happened: Late Tuesday, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the recommendation to vaccinate children ages 5-11 against Covid-19. This was the final step in the process and, as of Wednesday, providers are allowed to vaccinate the roughly 28 million children of this age with the reduced-dose Pfizer vaccine. The endorsement comes after the Food and Drug Administration voted that the benefits of Pfizer's low-dose Covid-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11 far outweigh the p

What Happened: On Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted that the benefits of Pfizer's low-dose Covid-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11 far outweigh the potential risks. Last Friday, Pfizer released a study showing that their Covid-19 vaccine proved to be nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in kids ages 5-11. If regulators approve the vaccine, the rollout could begin as soon as early November. Pfizer requested vaccine authorization for

What Happened: According to a new study released on Friday, Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine proved to be nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in kids ages 5-11. If regulators approve the vaccine for children ages 5-11, the vaccine rollout could begin as soon as early November. Pfizer requested vaccine authorization for this age group a few weeks back. The FDA is expected to post its review of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for young children later

What Happened: On Monday, pharmaceutical giant Merck asked the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize its Covid-19 treatment pill. If authorized, it would become the first pill to be used to treat Covid-19 and could be self-administered by patients at their homes. The drug, molnupiravir, is said to help reduce Covid-19 symptoms and speed recovery from the illness. The FDA will review data to determine the safety and effectiveness of the pill. Merck says the pill will re

What Happened: According to the Labor Department, the US economy added 194,000 jobs in September, well short of the 490,000 that were projected. Unemployment dropped down from 5.2% to 4.8% in September. Despite this positive trend, one of the reasons the rate fell was because 180,000 fewer people looked for work in September and therefore weren't counted as unemployed. Although the economy is showing some signs of recovering from the spread of the Delta variant, many employer

What Happened: On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots for seniors aged 65 and older and for high-risk patients. The Biden administration wishes to administer booster shots to nearly all American adults to help combat the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, however, the FDA says there are still too many uncertainties and, thus far, has rejected Biden's plan. FDA commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said that the

What Happened: On Monday, Pfizer announced that its Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children aged 5-11 and that it will seek US authorization for this age group before the end of the month. Pfizer tested smaller doses in the young children, a third of what's normally given to adults and teens. The trials proved to be effective with the young children developing antibodies against Covid-19 and having minimal side effects. The findings set the stage for a potential v

What Happened: On Friday, Florida's First District Court reinstated Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) ban on mask mandates in schools. The decision comes shortly after DeSantis' lawyers filed an emergency appeal in response to a judge's ruling, on Wednesday, that the state must end its mask ban. Several state and local school districts have said that a mask mandate is necessary as Covid-19 cases surge. The state previously threatened to withhold federal funding from school districts tha

What Happened: On Thursday, President Biden ordered new federal vaccine mandates that will affect up to 100 million Americans. In his White House speech, Biden criticized the millions of Americans who have not been vaccinated saying “the unvaccinated can cause a lot of damage, and they are.” With the goal of curbing the surge of infections from the Delta variant, the new orders will impose vaccine requirements for healthcare workers, federal contractors and private-sector emp

What Happened: According to the Labor Department, the US economy added 235,000 jobs in August, a steep drop-off after around 1 million jobs were added in June and July. Unemployment dropped down to 5.2% in August, giving another positive sign that the economy is in recovery despite this month's tepid jobs report. Although the spread of the Delta variant may have contributed to slowing job growth last month, the US economy still looks healthy and consumer spending is still tre

What's Happening: On Thursday, the Supreme Court voted to allow evictions to resume across the United States, overturning the CDC's recent 60-day eviction moratorium extension. According to the Census bureau, about 3.5 million people will face eviction within the next two months. The court ruled that the CDC lacked the authority to reimpose the moratorium for another 60 days on Aug. 3, without Congressional authorization. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court ruled i