Economy
Biden Picks Janet Yellen To Be Treasury Secretary In Historic Appointment
The United States has had 77 Treasury secretaries in the last 231 years. So far, they’ve all been men. That’s about to change.
President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to head the Treasury Department, a source close to the transition told NPR on Monday
Childhood vaccine linked to less severe COVID-19, cigarette smoke raises risk (stilley)
(Reuters) – The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.
Childhood vaccine may help prevent severe COVID-19
People whose immune systems responded strongly to a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine may be less likely to become severely ill if they are infected with the new coronavirus, new data suggest.
The Trump administration is hampering the economic recovery at a critical time
Dec. 31 is shaping up to be a bleak day for the U.S. economy. Millions of unemployed Americans will no longer qualify for government aid. Renters will lose their protections for evictions. Student loan debt-holders will lose their relief. And now it looks like the Federal Reserve will be forced to end a bunch of emergency lifeline programs for troubled businesses, cities and states.
The ending of all this aid is coming at a rough time. The economic recovery is stalling and starting to backslide. Layoffs are ticking up again, household spending is slowing and people aren’t venturing out much as coronavirus cases skyrocket in much of the country.
Vibrations of coronavirus proteins may play a role in infection (Doherty)
When someone struggles to open a lock with a key that doesn’t quite seem to work, sometimes jiggling the key a bit will help. Now, new research from MIT suggests that coronaviruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, may use a similar method to trick cells into letting the viruses inside. The findings could be useful for determining how dangerous different strains or mutations of coronaviruses may be, and might point to a new approach for developing treatments.
How To Close Up Your Pandemic Bubble Without Losing Friends
As coronavirus case numbers surge across the country, it’s not just the obvious places you should avoid: political rallies, large weddings, crowded bars, restaurants and night clubs.
More and more, health experts warn that COVID-19 is being transmitted at the intimate get-togethers many of us believed were relatively safe: Dinner parties with close, trusted friends. Game nights with family members who live in different households. Sleepovers and learning pods with just a handful of kids and parents involved.
Covid: Vaccination will be required to fly, says Qantas chief
International air travellers will in future need to prove they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to board Qantas flights, the airline says.
The Australian flag carrier’s boss, Alan Joyce, said the move would be “a necessity” when vaccines are available. “I think that’s going to be a common thing talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe,” he said.
Energy
Newly Discovered Volcanic Mineral Could Lead To More Efficient Batteries
The mineral consists of oxygen, sulfur and copper atoms, which form a porous framework. Smaller atoms, like sodium, can move freely through the crystalline structure using the voids and channels in the framework as passages. This unique property could be used as a template for creating more efficient batteries.
Environment
COVID-19: Air Quality Influences the Pandemic
Epidemiologists widely agree that there is a correlation between acute and locally elevated concentrations of fine particles and the severity of influenza waves. «We have investigated whether such a link also exists with the virulence of COVID-19 disease,» says Mario Rohrer, researcher at the Institute for Environmental Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences of UNIGE and director of Meteodat.
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The post Daily Digest 11/23 – Biden Picks Janet Yellen To Be Treasury Secretary, How To Close Up Your Pandemic Bubble Without Losing Friends appeared first on Peak Prosperity.
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