• US Jobless Claims Drop to Pandemic Low of 281,000
  
  The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a pandemic low last week as the job market continues to recover from last year's coronavirus recession.
• US Companies Announce Plans for Gene-edited Strawberries
  
  An Idaho company that successfully brought genetically modified potatoes to the market announced an agreement Thursday to help a California-based plant breeding company grow strawberries they say will stay fresh longer and have a longer growing season.
• US Economy Slowed to a 2% Rate Last Quarter in Face of COVID
  
  Hampered by rising COVID-19 cases and persistent supply shortages, the U.S. economy slowed to a 2% annual rate in the July-September period, the weakest quarterly growth since the recovery from the pandemic recession began last year.Thursday's report from the Commerce...
• Global Bond Rout Raises Prospects of 'VaR' Shock
  
  Global short-end government bonds extended a major sell-off on Thursday with two-year debt yields on track for their biggest spike in years, spooking investors and raising concerns on the impact of these large moves on leveraged portfolios.Traders noted the Aussie bank bill...
• Biden Bound for Global Summits as Domestic Agenda in Limbo
  
  President Joe Biden promised to show the world that democracies can work to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
• Gulf Energy Giants Pledge Net Zero -- But Plan to Stick with Oil
  
  A surge of new net zero pledges from the Middle East's oil producing nations has raised expectations ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow starting Sunday - but campaigners say the promises fall far short of what is needed.
• US Awards Pfizer Contract for 50 Million Kids' COVID Vaccines
  
  Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced Thursday they expect to deliver 50 million more doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. government by April-end, as the country prepares to vaccinate children.
• Merck Projects Full-Year Revenue up to $47.9 Billion
  
  Merck & Co. (MRK) Thursday reported third-quarter profit of $4.57 billion.The Kenilworth, New Jersey-based company said it had net income of $1.80 per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to $1.75 per share.
• Cheap Antidepressant Shows Promise Treating Early COVID
  
  A cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19 in a study hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus.Researchers tested the pill used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder because it...
• Gallup Poll: 74 Percent Say Better Job Opportunities Available
  
  While most Americans believe the economy is faltering, almost three quarters surveyed in a recent Gallup poll think it is a good time to find a quality job.
• Peter Navarro to Newsmax: Biden Policies Setting up 'Very Expensive Christmas'
  
  Former trade advisor to President Donald Trump, Peter Navarro, told Newsmax Wednesday that by undoing the Trump-era policies, President Joe Biden set Americans up for a "very expensive" Christmas holiday...
• Biden Backs Down on Dec. 8 Vaccine Deadline
  
  The Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination deadline will not require immediate action on the part of employers against unvaccinated employees when it comes into force on Dec. 8, the White House coronavirus response coordinator said on Wednesday. Some lawyers previously...
• Rasmussen: 46 Percent Want Fauci to Resign
  
  Almost half of U.S. voters think that Dr. Anthony Fauci should resign from his role as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to the latest poll from Rasmussen Reports.
• Poll: Most Republicans Expect to Use Trump Social Media Platform
  
  Most Republicans surveyed told Morning Consult in a new poll that they expect to use former President Donald Trump's new social media platform, Truth Social, which launched last week.
• Ford, GM Profits Fall as Sales Drop Due to Chip Shortage
  
  The global computer chip shortage cut into third-quarter profits at both Ford and crosstown rival General Motors, with both companies having to temporarily close factories, pinching supplies on dealer lots.Ford's net income of $1.83 billion fell 23% from a year ago, while...
• Boeing Posts Q3 Loss as Problems Dog Airliner, Space Capsule
  
  Boeing Co. lost $109 million in the third quarter as it struggled to fix problems with its 787 Dreamliner, a large airliner designed for long routes, and a space capsule that would ferry astronauts to the international space station.
• Bezozi: Six Reasons Why Life Insurance Makes Sense
  
  While most people recognize that life insurance provides general peace of mind, they often underestimate the tax and financial advantages the right policy has to offer.
• US Consumer Watchdog to Review Big Tech Data, Promote Lending Competition
  
  Chief consumer finance watchdog Rohit Chopra told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday his agency will review Big Tech's impact on the flow of money in the economy as leading technology firms use real-time consumer payments systems that collect huge amounts of personal data. Chopra,...
• EBay Beats Quarterly Revenue Estimates
  
  EBay Inc. on Wednesday exceeded market estimates for quarterly revenue as customers used its auction and e-commerce platform to shop online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Nasdaq Flat, Cyclicals Weigh on S&P 500
  
  The Nasdaq ended little changed on Wednesday, although it did receive nice boosts in Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet stocks, on the heels of their quarterly results.
• Facebook Asks Employees to Preserve Internal Documents for Legal Inquiries
  
  Facebook Inc. has told its employees to preserve all internal documents and communications for legal reasons, as governments and regulators have started inquiries into its operation.The increased scrutiny comes after former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen...
• Judge Clears Path for Recall Campaign Over COVID-19 Bonuses
  
  A judge rejected appeals, clearing the way for a recall campaign against three Michigan county officials who gave themselves bonuses with federal COVID-19 money before public outcry caused a reversal.The appeals were full of errors and didn't comply with court rules, The...
• Democrats Debate 'Billionaires Tax' to Help Pay for Biden's Sweeping Agenda
  
  The top Democratic tax writer in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday unveiled a plan to tax billionaires' assets to help pay for President Joe Biden's social and climate-change agenda, but it was unclear whether it had enough support to become law.
• U.S. Senators Call for Passing Laws to Protect Online Privacy for Kids
  
  Two Democratic senators called Wednesday for two bills to be voted into law that will limit what children are shown online and how their data can be used for advertising by Big Tech companies like Google's YouTube and Facebook.
• Nor'easter Cuts Power to over Half-million Homes, Businesses
  
  A nor'easter that battered the Atlantic coast with hurricane-force wind gusts left more than a half-million homes and businesses without power in New England and forced the closure of bridges, ferries and schools in the region Wednesday.Utility workers labored to restore...

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