Wednesday morning news - December 15, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Data indicate omicron is milder, better at evading vaccines » The omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to cause less severe illness than previous strains, but it also does a better job of evading vaccine defenses.

That according to a new analysis out of South Africa.

People who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine appeared to have just 33 percent protection against omicron, compared to those who were unvaccinated.

But Discovery Health CEO Dr. Ryan Noach pointed out...

NOACH: What is very encouraging is that the vaccine effectiveness of this double dose of Pfizer-BioNTech holds at 70 percent in the omicron wave against severe complications of COVID-19, which we measure by hospital admissions.

Discovery Health is that country’s largest private health insurer. It conducted the analysis along with the South African Medical Research Council.

The study did not look at booster shots, which are not yet prevalent in South Africa. Studies conducted by Pfizer suggest boosters improve protection against omicron.

The findings released Tuesday are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed, but they line up with other early data about omicron's behavior. But some experts cautioned that it's too soon to draw conclusions.

Pfizer confirms COVID pill's results, potency versus omicron » Meantime, Pfizer said Tuesday that a study of its experimental pill to treat COVID-19 shows it appears to be effective against the new variant. WORLD’s Leigh Jones has more.

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: The company said its study of more than 2,200 people confirmed the pill's promising early results against the virus: The drug reduced hospitalizations and deaths by about 89 percent among high-risk adults when taken shortly after initial symptoms.

And separate laboratory testing shows the drug stands up well against the omicron variant.

The update comes as COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are all rising again in the United States. Right now it’s still the delta variant driving that surge.

The FDA is expected to make a decision very soon on whether to give the green light to Pfizer’s pill and a competing pill from Merck. If granted, the pills would be the first COVID-19 treatments that Americans can take at home.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

Jan. 6 panel votes on holding Meadows in contempt » A divided House of Representatives voted narrowly on Tuesday to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress.

AUDIO: [Sound of vote]

The panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot recommended contempt charges after Meadows stopped fully cooperating with the panel.

The committee released a report Sunday evening detailing questions about the thousands of emails and text messages he has already provided.

Those messages revealed that as a mob overran the U.S. Capitol, some Trump allies and even Donald Trump Jr. sent text messages to Meadows urging him to get President Trump to do more to stop the violence.

GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney, a member of the Jan. 6 Select Committee told fellow lawmakers…

CHENEY: For 187 minutes, President Trump refused to act. And he refused to act when his action was required, it was essential, and it was compelled by his duty.

But Meadows said selective leaks from the committee show the proceedings are purely politically motivated.

MEADOWS: This is about Donald Trump and about actually going after him once again.

Meadows’ attorney says the former chief of staff is shielded by former President Trump's executive privilege. Most GOP lawmakers in the House agreed.

Senate votes to raise debt limit by $2.5T » The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to raise the nation’s debt limit by $2.5 trillion.

AUDIO: On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 49 and the joint resolution is passed.

That after party leaders struck a deal defusing a volatile issue until after next year’s midterm elections.

GOP senators were united against the measure, but Republicans agreed not to block the party line vote.

The vote came just one day shy of a deadline set by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to avoid the nation’s first-ever default.

That sent the measure on to the House where its approval was never in doubt. And President Biden was expected to sign the bill within hours.

Wholesale inflation jumps record 9.6% over past 12 months » More evidence of soaring inflation, Prices at the wholesale level set a new record last month. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The producer price index measures inflation before it reaches consumers. And the Labor Department said Tuesday that the index rose 0.8 percent in November from the month before.

But as compared to the year before, wholesale inflation set a new record. Prices rose 9.6 percent from November of 2020. And that was the biggest 12-month jump ever.

The cost of food, energy, goods, and services all rose in November.

The surge in wholesale prices followed news on Friday that consumer prices shot up 6.8 percent for the 12 months ending in November. That was the biggest increase in almost 40 years.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Fireball from overturned tanker kills dozens in Haiti » A gasoline tanker overturned and exploded in northern Haiti Tuesday, unleashing a fireball that swept through homes and businesses. The blast killed at least 60 people in the coastal city of Cap-Haitien in the latest tragedy to befall the nation.

Hours after the explosion, officials at a local hospital pleaded for basic supplies and more medical staff as patients overwhelmed the facility.

The tanker explosion comes as Haiti struggles with a severe shortage of fuel and spiraling gas prices. That shortage has recently temporarily shut down gas stations, schools and businesses and has even forced hospitals to turn away patients.

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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