| Good morning. It's Wednesday, Jan. 5, and the "Great Resignation" clearly isn't over. We'll catch up on that and more in today's briefing: |
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| The surge of coronavirus cases in the U.S. could peak this month. - The worst of the omicron variant wave could hit by next week, according to one model (although forecasts can only tell us so much).
- A hopeful pattern: New cases in London appear to have leveled off, similar to what happened in South Africa. Officials in both places report less-severe illnesses, too.
- In other news: The CDC is expected to sign off today on Pfizer booster shots for 12-to-15-year-olds.
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| The Biden administration is working to prevent another Jan. 6. - What that means: A year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, officials are trying to improve information-sharing among law enforcement to better predict violence or unrest.
- The FBI said it has no information on "credible threats" surrounding tomorrow's anniversary.
- Coming today: The U.S. attorney general will give an update about the ongoing investigation. More than 725 people have been charged with crimes related to the insurrection.
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| Many college students are stuck in isolation and quarantine. - Schools have had to scramble to separate infected or exposed students as the omicron variant surges, and some were forced to isolate on campus over winter break.
- In other news: Chicago public schools canceled classes today after teachers voted to return to remote learning because of the surge in coronavirus cases.
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| A storm crippled the East Coast's busiest highway. - What happened: A foot of snow Monday caused multiple crashes, including jackknifed tractor-trailers, on a hilly stretch of I-95 in Virginia, completely blocking traffic.
- The damage: Some drivers (including Sen. Tim Kaine) were trapped for more than 24 hours without food or water in freezing temperatures. The road reopened last night.
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| A record 4.5 million people quit or changed jobs in November. - Why? There are more openings than available workers, so job-seekers can be more selective as businesses compete to hire them.
- The numbers: This was the fourth time in 2021 that the number of workers quitting set a record. There are 10.6 million job openings and only 6.9 million Americans listed as unemployed.
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| A giant tech conference starts today in Las Vegas. - What is it? The CES electronics show, held each January, shows off new tech that could soon impact your life.
- Who's going: Up to 75,000 people could attend through Friday, despite surging coronavirus cases, although big names such as Facebook, Amazon and Google pulled out.
- What to expect: Smart-home gear, metaverse equipment, health-focused wearables and more.
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| You can shingle your roof with solar panels now. - A large U.S. company began selling a new solar shingle product this week. It's available first on the East Coast but will go nationwide soon.
- How it works: The outward-facing section of each shingle is made of photovoltaic cells. The panels collect energy and transfer it through wires on the end of each shingle that daisy-chain together.
- The goal: To make going solar less expensive and accessible to more people.
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. But before you go … for anyone wanting to start a fitness routine that will actually stick: We've got tips from experts on how to get there. (Jordan Robertson for The Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. |
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