When a faultline breaks open on the earth’s surface, it reveals the presence of an underlying structural discontinuity that was previously unsuspected by those casually passing by. Those who come across it suddenly realize that things are not what they seem and that powerful forces are at work under their feet which can at any point erupt in scenes of great upheaval.
President Biden spoke with an unusually deep and raspy voice Friday to discuss a disappointing November jobs report — sparking concerns online and among reporters that he was sick, if not COVID-stricken.
Exiting Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Dec. 2 that Germany will lock down unvaccinated people as top officials also signaled that they would back plans for mandatory vaccinations in the coming months.
Though unemployment fell to its lowest level in nearly two years, the U.S. added back a worse-than-expected 210,000 jobs in November—indicating the labor market is still struggling to add back jobs lost during the pandemic amid the looming threat of a new coronavirus variant.