Coronavirus

The U.S. supply chain appears to be showing signs of improvement. LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow spoke with Phil Levy, the chief economist at Flexport to break it down.

RSV can cause severe breathing problems for babies, while flu cases are also starting to rise. The situation is similar in much of the country where doctors are bracing for the possibility that RSV, flu and COVID-19 could combine to stress hospitals. One child under the age of 5 has already died due to flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Prompting officials to issue new guidance in response to the surge in RSV cases among children to help address the current and expected continued surge in hospitalizations from an early winter virus season. Meanwhile, Orange County, CA declared a local health emergency due to record numbers of pediatric hospitalizations and daily emergency room visits over rapidly-spreading viral infections.

Peter Chin-Hong, MD, a professor in the UCSF Health Division of Infectious Diseases, speaks with LiveNOW's Andrew Craft about tri-demic concerns regarding COVID-19, RSV and the flu. Dr. Chin-Hong also speaks about the shortage of children's medications across the U.S., and what parents can do if they are in need of medicine that they cannot find.

Crowds demonstrated in Shanghai on Sunday night, Nov. 27, 2022, as protests continued across China over COVID-19 restrictions. Credit: Danmarks Radio via Storyful

In likely his final message from the podium, Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get the updated COVID-19 booster shot ahead of the holiday and winter season.

With a nationwide rise in RSV cases, some medical experts are concerned about the possibility of a "tri-demic," which would include COVID, flu and RSV. LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow spoke with Dr. Whitney Minnock at Beaumont Children's Hospital.

The director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release from the agency.

A CDC panel COVID-19 shots should be added to the lists of recommended vaccinations for kids and adults. The panel's decision is not mandatory. State and local officials are allowed to make their decisions about vaccination requirements for school attendance. For example, flu and HPV shots aren?t required by many schools.

President Joe Biden arrived in Portland, Oregon for a visit ahead of the midterm elections next month. President Biden spoke at a campaign event for Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee for governor of Oregon in the 2022 election. His stop in Oregon caps off a three-day West Coast tour which included visits to Colorado and California.

FOX Business Network's Edward Lawrence speaks with LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to break down a report released Tuesday morning regarding the U.S. and world economies.

Ministers from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) on Wednesday said they would cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day in a move that is expected to raise oil prices globally. President Biden said, "[he] is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin?s invasion of Ukraine."

The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged last month as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates forced many Americans to spend more cautiously. Retail purchases were flat after having risen 0.8% in June, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Economists had expected a slight increase. Still, Wednesday?s report contained some positive signs: Excluding autos and auto parts, retail sales rose 0.4% in July. Lower gas prices likely freed up money for people to spend elsewhere. Gasoline sales slid 1.8%, reflecting the drop in pump prices.

By one common definition, the U.S. economy is on the cusp of a recession. Yet that definition isn’t the one that counts. On Thursday, when the government estimates the gross domestic product for the April-June period, some economists think it may show that the economy shrank for a second straight quarter. That would meet a longstanding assumption for when a recession has begun. But economists say that wouldn’t mean that a recession had started. During those same six months when the economy might have contracted, businesses and other employers added a prodigious 2.7 million jobs — more than were gained in most entire years before the pandemic. Wages are also rising at a healthy pace, with many employers still struggling to attract and retain enough workers. The job market’s strength is a key reason why the Federal Reserve is expected to announce another hefty hike in its short-term interest rate on Wednesday, one day before the GDP report. Several Fed officials have cited the healthy job growth as evidence that the economy should be able to withstand higher rates and avoid a downturn. Many economists, though, are dubious of that assertion.

By one common definition, the U.S. economy is on the cusp of a recession. Yet that definition isn?t the one that counts.

A closely watched recession predictor in the bond market just flashed red, spurring fresh concern that the U.S. economy is on track for a downturn this year as a result of the Federal Reserve's war on inflation. The spread between the 2-year and 10-year Treasury yields inverted this week for the first time since April on fears that the Federal Reserve's aggressive approach to tackling the hottest inflation in four decades could lead to a sustained slowdown in growth. The phenomenon ? which is rare ? has been a historically accurate predictor of recessions.

The Army said Wednesday it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon. The Army?s announcement makes it the final military service to lay out its discharge policy for vaccine refusers. The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy have already discharged active-duty troops or entry-level personnel at boot camps for refusing the shots. So far, the Army has not discharged any. According to data released by the Army last week, more than 3,300 soldiers have refused to get the vaccine. The Army has said that more than 3,000 soldiers have been issued official written reprimands, which suggests they are already identified in the disciplinary process, and some of them could be among the first to be discharged.