Washington Post (December 29)
“Across the nation and the world, people who thought they knew how to avoid covid are getting a rude surprise. Safety precautions that had for so long felt talismanic ― get vaccinated, mask up, avoid large indoor gatherings — have in the past week or two collapsed under the weight of omicron, a much more highly transmissible variant than the ones before it.”
Tags: Avoid, Collapsed, Covid, Indoor gatherings, Mask, Omicron, Rude surprise, Safety precautions, Transmissible, Vaccinated, Variant, World
New York Times (December 29)
UK companies got hit with “higher costs and endless forms” in the first post-Brexit year. “While the worst of the Brexit trade disruptions are over, British exports to the European Union are down and companies are frustrated.”
Tags: Brexit, Companies, Down, Endless forms, EU, Exports, Frustrated, Higher costs, Trade disruptions, UK
Reuters (December 28)
“Vulture funds will need to stretch their wings. Corporate defaults are falling, despite the surprising endurance of the pandemic. Investors that specialise in buying distressed debt like Oaktree will have to look beyond the mainstay of public debt markets.”
Tags: Corporate defaults, Distressed debt, Falling, Investors, Markets, Oaktree, Pandemic, Vulture funds
The Guardian (December 28)
The UK has seen another record rise of daily Covid cases, with 138,831 reported in England, Scotland and Wales alone.” Still, there may be cause for hope. “Although hospital admissions had increased in recent weeks as Omicron spreads through the population, fewer patients were needing high-flow oxygen and the average length of stay was down to three days.”
Tags: Admissions, Cases, Covid, England, Hospital, Omicron, Oxygen, Patients, Record, Rise, Scotland, UK, Wales
Washington Post (December 27)
“Americans must rally against the real threat to our democracy: China.” During the past decades of neglect, we “largely ignored the rising challenge of China and only now are approaching an appropriate level of alarm…. There isn’t much of a choice here: Rally, or face eclipse.”
Pittsburgh Gazette (December 26)
“As terrible as World War II was… COVID is exacting a far bigger toll among Americans.” The pandemic has already claimed twice as many lives in half the time. “And yet the contrast in national harmony and sense of national purpose is dramatic.” The sacrifices required today pale by comparison, but “many Americans regard wearing masks an intolerable inconvenience and practicing social distancing too great a sacrifice.”
Tags: Contrast, Covid, Inconvenience, Intolerable, Lives, Masks, National harmony, Pandemic, Purpose, Sacrifices, Social distancing, Terrible, Toll, U.S., WWII
Wall Street Journal (December 23)
“Businesses, schools, hospitals and governments are preparing for a new year with a sense of déjà vu, as the spread of Covid-19’s Omicron variant brings a familiar challenge: how best to navigate another surge. This time, they’re hopeful they can stay open and operating.”
Tags: Businesses, Challenge, COVID-19, Déjà vu, Governments, Hospitals, Omicron, Schools, Spread, Surge, Variant
Financial Times (December 23)
In a “win for activists that signals trouble for other US companies,” the SEC “has rejected Apple’s petition to block three shareholder proposals from going to a vote at its next annual meeting…. Last month, the regulator changed its policies to make it harder for companies to win regulatory support to reject investor petitions.”
Tags: Activists, AGM, Apple, Investor, Petition, Petitions, Policies, Regulator, Reject, SEC, Shareholder proposals, Signals, Trouble, Vote, Win
Investment Week (December 21)
“The asset and wealth management industry is set to face a busy year of regulation, with the impact of recently passed legislation, including sustainability disclosure requirements and new listings rules, combining with that yet to come, such as long term asset funds. Past decisions will also bring change, as LIBOR also comes to an end this year, with very slim exception, while the spectre of Brexit is far from banished.”
Tags: Asset management, Brexit, Disclosure requirements, Funds, Impact, Legislation, LIBOR, Listings rules, Regulation, Sustainability, Wealth
London Times (December 20)
“Although Boris Johnson is unlikely to impose further restrictions before Christmas,” anything is possible thereafter. “A full lockdown is not off the table.” Modelling suggests hospital admissions will soar beyond 3,000, possibly reaching 10,000 per day in England, a number “far higher than January’s peak of 4,000.”
Tags: Christmas, England, Hospital admissions, January, Johnson, Lockdown, Modelling, Peak, Restrictions
