Investors are closely watching the latest news on the rapidly spreading Omicron variant for signs of how much the virus could impact the U.S. economy and earnings as the market heads into what has historically been a strong time of year for equities.

Big-name tech firms such as Google, Lenovo and Intel on Thursday cancelled plans to attend next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, joining an exodus fueled by fear of Covid-19.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits held below pre-pandemic levels last week as the labor market tightens, while consumer spending increased solidly, putting the economy on track for a strong finish to 2021.

Profit growth for US corporations is expected to slow next year after a gangbuster 2021, with rising inflation and a rapidly spreading Covid-19 variant adding to uncertainty as investors try to justify stock prices trading near record highs.

American consumers were even more confident about the economy in December and less concerned about inflation, despite the rise of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, according to a survey released Wednesday.

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his administration was extending the pause on student loan repayment for an additional 90 days, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden argued Wednesday that by working with shipping firms and unions, his administration helped prevent a feared shortage of gifts for the holidays.

It had been a challenging day on the road and Desi Wade was ready for dinner. But as he pulled into a truck stop, Wade encountered a familiar frustration in the overstressed industry.

A bid by the White House to dramatically boost electric vehicle tax credits hit a major roadblock on Sunday when a key Senate Democrat said he would not support a $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill.

Major US companies are having to reassess their return-to-office plans and getting tough on vaccine or mask requirements as the Omicron Covid variant looks set to extend pandemic-induced work-from-home culture.

US retailers opened their doors on Saturday to what they hope will be swarms of shoppers searching for last-minute holiday gifts, despite surging cases of the coronavirus, including the new, highly-contagious Omicron variant.

Having averted a government shutdown and potential default this month, Democrats in the US Congress move on to the even harder task of passing President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill.

US retail sales increased less than expected in November, likely payback after surging in the prior month as Americans started their holiday shopping early to avoid empty shelves.

US industrial production climbed in November to its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it would end its pandemic-era bond purchases in March and pave the way for three quarter-percentage-point interest rate hikes by the end of 2022 as the economy nears full employment and the US central bank copes with a surge of inflation.

The World Bank’s fund to help the world’s poorest nations got a $93 billion injection of cash to help scale up aid for pandemic recovery and other programs, the institution announced Wednesday.

Global shares fell on Tuesday and the US dollar rose again as investors held their breath ahead of the update on monetary policy due out from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

Top executives of major US airlines will tell a Senate committee Wednesday they are ramping up hiring even as some raise concerns about a Covid-19 variant on demand, according to testimony seen by Reuters.

US lawmakers voted to raise the federal debt limit on Wednesday, eliminating the threat of a disastrous credit default with just hours to spare ahead of the deadline set by the Treasury.

The Federal Reserve opened its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday, focused squarely on how to address the troubling US inflation threat.