Los Angeles Omicron Surge: County “Looking At Case Numbers We’ve Never Seen” In January

New Covid Cases in Los Angeles doubled in the past 24 hours, according the the county’s director of Public Health, the total number of cases rose from 3,052 on Tuesday to 6,509 today.

“If our case numbers continue to increase at a rapid pace over the course of this week and next,” said Barbara Ferrer, “we could be looking at case numbers we have never seen, over 20,000.”

The highest daily case tally of the entire pandemic was recorded on January 4, at 21,849, according to the L.A. County Covid data dashboard.

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Toast to 2022 With More Than Just Champagne

These three drinks offer something bubbly beyond the traditional bubbly, and are best paired with something salty (like potato chips).

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By Rebekah Peppler

Biden says 2024 reelection run depends on his health

Fox News Flash top headlines for December 22

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President Biden Wednesday added a caveat to his contention that he is planning to run for reelection in 2024, saying that he would do so if he remains in good health.

Biden made the assertion in response to a question from ABC News anchor David Muir, who asked the president if he intended to seek reelection, especially in light of the promise he made in 2020 that he would serve eight years if elected.

“Yes, but look, I’m a great respecter of fate,” Biden answered. “Fate has intervened in my life many, many times. If I’m in the health I’m in now—if I’m in good health—then, in fact, I would run again.”

Muir then asked whether Biden would run again if Trump were to oppose him again in 2024.

“You’re trying to tempt me now?” Biden replied. “Sure. Why would I not run against Donald Trump if he were the nominee? That would increase the prospect of running.”

Opinion | Where’s Joe Biden?

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By Charles M. Blow

Opinion Columnist

Turkey Central Bank Slashes Rate Again By 100 Bps

Turkey’s central bank slashed its key interest rates sharply for the fourth straight month despite the continuing fall in the currency lira.

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, governed by Sahap Kavcioglu, decided to cut the one-week repo rate by 100 basis points to 14.00 percent from 15.00 percent.

Under pressure from President Tayyip Erdogan, the bank had lowered the rate by 500 basis points since September.

“The Committee decided to complete the use of the limited room implied by transitory effects of supply-side factors and other factors beyond monetary policy’s control on price increases and reduced the policy rate by 100 basis points,” the bank said in a statement.

The bank said cumulative impact of the recent policy decisions will be monitored in the first quarter of 2022 and during this period, all aspects of the policy framework will be reassessed in order to create a foundation for a sustainable price stability.

Policymakers said the increase in inflation in November has been driven by developments in exchange rates and supply side factors. Further, the committee viewed that domestic economic activity remains strong, with the help of robust external demand

Turkey’s central bank shrugged off a currency crisis, rising inflation as well as the recent hawkish turn from the Fed and remained obedient to President Erdogan, Jason Tuvey, an economist at Capital Economics, said.

Holcim To Buy Malarkey Roofing Products For $1.35 Bln In Cash – Quick Facts

Swiss building materials company Holcim AG (HCMLY.PK,HCMLF.PK) announced Thursday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Malarkey Roofing Products, a US residential roofing company, for $1.35 billion in cash.

The acquisition is earnings per share accretive from the first year. The company expects synergies of $40 million per year on a run-rate basis to be realized by year three.

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory clearance in the United States. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Portland, Oregon -based Malarkey Roofing projects 2022 net sales of $600 million and EBITDA of $120 million.

The deal accelerates Holcim’s growth in Solutions & Products to reach 30% of group net sales by 2025. The complementary acquisition in roofing systems would achieve $4 billion net sales by 2025.

Jamie Gentoso, Global Head of Solutions & Products, said, “With Malarkey Roofing Products we enter the highly profitable and fast-growing residential roofing market, driven by repair and refurbishment as well as shifting customer preferences towards more sustainable and resilient building materials.”