U.S. officials to recommend coronavirus booster shot - August 17, 2021

Federal health officials are expected to recommend COVID-19 booster shots for all Americans eight months after they received the second dose of the shot in an announcement this week. The guidance comes as the delta variant spreads across the country. Preliminary studies in Israel suggest that protection against serious illness dropped among those who were vaccinated in January. As Delta Surges, Covid-19 Breakthrough Cases Remain Uncommon - The Wall Street Journal Delta Surge Drives Home Painful Truth: Covid Isn’t Going Away - The New York Times New Zealand announces a nationwide lockdown ... over one Covid case - CNN Among France's poorest, once-lagging vaccine rates jump - Associated Press U.S. retail sales fell in July even more than economists predicted, dipping 1.1% last month as consumers shifted to spending on services over merchandise. The emergence of the delta variant could curb demand for services like travel and entertainment, while higher prices for groceries, meals out and apparel could also limit discretionary spending in the coming months. Treasury yields ebb lower ahead of retail sales data - CNBC Are Americans heading back to stores for back-to-school shopping? We’re about to find out - MarketWatch @carlquintanilla: JPMORGAN: The decline in #UMich consumer sentiment “aligns with recent indications that the Delta variant may be suppressing consumer spending and we look for a well below consensus 1.5% m/m drop in tomorrow’s July retail sales report.” Walmart reported a rise in sales in second-quarter earnings, although the retail giant said that online growth slowed. Home Depot sales also continued to surge, but economists expect the “DIY frenzy” to cool as uncertainty looms from the delta variant. Delta, beef prices threaten to take the sizzle out of U.S. steakhouses - Reuters Those Surging Home Prices May Not (Totally) Be A Bubble - NPR @charliebilello: With 89% of companies reported, S&P 500 earnings are on pace to hit another record high in Q2. $SPX U.S. officials declared