Biden administration officially withdraws COVID-19 vaccine rule
The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements.
CDC warns against cruise ship travel
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation Thursday telling people to avoid getting on cruise ships.
Florida gas prices drop amid omicron variant concerns
Average gasoline prices in Florida dropped four cents during the past week and are expected to continue to fall because of concerns about how the omicron variant of the coronavirus could affect global fuel demand, according to the AAA auto club.
Polk State College eliminating $1.2 million in student debt for nearly 1,300 students
A lot of Polk State College students just got an unexpected early Christmas present. On Friday, the college announced that is forgiving 1,300 student loans, covering a variety of expenses from tuition to books to lab fees.
Powell says Federal Reserve may accelerate pullback in economic support
Chair Jerome Powell said that the Federal Reserve will consider acting more quickly to dial back its ultra-low-interest rate policies to counter higher inflation.
Federal Reserve: Omicron variant could make supply chain backlog, inflation worse
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant could slow the economy and hiring.
Inflation surges globally as economies reel from pandemic
Rising inflation is leading to price increases for food, gas and other products and pushing many people to choose between digging deeper into their pockets or tightening their belts. In developing economies, it's especially dire.
Stocks sink on new COVID variant; Dow loses 1,000 points
A day after the Stock Market was closed for Thanksgiving, news of a new COVID-19 variant sent stocks falling, with the Dow losing 1,000 points.
Gulfport using federal COVID-19 funds to send everyone $25 -- with one catch
Starting December 10, the city is sending out $25 gift cards by mail to residents, up to $50 for each household. Those gift certificates can be spent at any participating business in town – identified by a sticker in the window – until January 10.
White House: 92% of federal workers vaccinated under mandate with no apparent disruptions
On Tuesday, one day after the deadline for compliance, 92% of the 3.5 million federal workers covered by Biden’s mandate reported to the government that they are at least partially vaccinated, according to White House officials.
More US adults opting to never have children, Pew survey finds
The number of childless adults between 18 and 49 years of age who have chosen to not have children in the future has increased 7% since the Pew Research Center conducted the same survey in 2018.
Santa Claus may not be coming to town this year amid hired Santa shortage
There are an estimated 10-15% fewer Santa Clauses this year compared to last year due to COVID-19 and many Santas retiring, according to Mitch Allen, head elf at Hire Santa.
Unemployment claims drop to 267,000, a new pandemic low
Jobless claims fell by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
Biden to extend FEMA-backed COVID-19 aid until April 2022
The White House says President Joe Biden is extending the federal government’s 100% reimbursement of COVID-19 emergency response costs to states, tribes and territories through April 1, 2022.
October jobs report: US hiring rebounds with 531,000 jobs added
The October 2021 U.S. jobs report showed employers stepped up their hiring, adding a solid 531,000 jobs — the most since July.
US unemployment claims drop to 269,000, another pandemic low
U.S. unemployment claims fell to a fresh pandemic low last week to 269,000.
Walmart holds 2-day supply chain hiring event as holiday season nears
Supply chain associates will earn an average of $20.37 per hour.
Fed dialing back COVID-19 economic aid amid high inflation
In a statement Wednesday after its latest policy meeting, the Fed said it will start reducing its $120 billion in monthly bond purchases in the coming weeks, by $15 billion a month, though it reserved the right to change that pace.
Survey: 72% of unvaccinated would leave job if vaccine required without testing option
A recent survey also found that 37% of unvaccinated adults said they would quit their job if forced to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or take a weekly test.
OSHA warns Arizona, South Carolina and Utah over COVID-19 violations
OSHA says Arizona, South Carolina and Utah are not complying with promises to enforce COVID-19 labor standards that are at least as good as those adopted by the federal government.