HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT

Wednesday 11.17.21

There may already be a wrinkle in your Thanksgiving travel plans: A huge brewing storm could lead to some rocky roads from the Midwest to the Northeast ahead of the holiday. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
 

By AJ Willingham

A pharmacist gives a booster shot of Pfizer's vaccine at a McDonald's in California.

Coronavirus

The FDA is considering whether to expand the emergency use authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to include booster shots for all adults. A CDC advisory panel is set to meet Friday to discuss the same thing. However, some states aren't waiting for official sign-offs to start the process. Arkansas, California, Colorado, New Mexico and West Virginia have all expanded eligibility for Covid-19 booster shots to everyone 18 and older, six months after their second dose. The Biden administration also plans to purchase 10 million doses of Pfizer's experimental antiviral Covid-19 pill. The pill, known as Paxlovid, has been shown by Pfizer to significantly reduce hospitalization and death from Covid-19. It's not FDA-authorized yet, but the drugmaker says it will seek approval soon. Pfizer also signed a licensing agreement allowing broader global access to the pill. 

Congress

The House is expected to vote today on whether to censure Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and strip him of committee posts after he posted an anime video to his Twitter and Instagram accounts showing him appearing to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden. A censure resolution is the most severe form of punishment in the House and hasn't been handed down since 2010. So far, Gosar's Republican colleagues have mostly shrugged off the matter. It's a strong contrast to punishments some in the GOP are leveling against their own party members for breaking rank. Rep. Liz Cheney was recently disowned by her own state party for not supporting former President Trump's false election fraud claims, and some House Republicans still want to punish the 13 GOP members who backed the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. 

Economy

Historic inflation in the US is driving up the price of gold and strengthening the US dollar, and investors and business leaders don't expect consumer prices to dip any time soon. Gold is a popular method for investors to guard against the long-term effects of inflation. Meanwhile, the solid performance of the US dollar shows markets are more confident in US growth relative to other economies, like in Europe, where rising Covid-19 case tallies are leading some major nations to consider new restrictions. In the UK, inflation rates are the highest they've been in a decade, which could lead to Britain becoming the first major economy to hike interest rates since the pandemic began. Back in the US, the Treasury secretary now estimates the government will run out of money on December 15, not December 3 as previously predicted. 

Uganda

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks that killed three people and injured 36 yesterday in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. (Note: In yesterday's newsletter, we misidentified who died in blasts. One police officer and two civilians were killed, police said.) The attacks bore the hallmarks of the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist rebel group affiliated with ISIS, police said. An ISIS-affiliated news agency detailed the actions of three ISIS fighters who it said were responsible for the suicide blasts. At least 81 suspects have been arrested, Uganda's President said. This is not the first time ISIS has struck the country recently. The Islamic State reportedly took responsibility for another blast in Kampala last month that killed one person and injured several others.

Philippines

The Philippines is gearing up for a presidential election next year to replace Rodrigo Duterte, who is stepping down after a single six-year term per the country's constitution. The race has led to high political drama that just intensified with the announcement that Sara Duterte-Carpio, the President's eldest daughter, will be the running mate of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator who was toppled in a 1986 uprising. In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately, but this alliance is a boon for both campaigns and could strengthen two powerful political dynasties. Experts say Marcos is favored to win now that the popular Duterte-Carpio is not running against him. Also in the mix: former boxing champion-turned-senator Manny Pacquiao, who says if elected, he'd investigate members of Duterte's administration for corruption.

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