Wednesday Afternoon Links

[Reuters] Stocks roar higher as traders park COVID and Fed jitters 

[Reuters] U.S. oil pares gains after weekly fuel stockpiles jump

[CNN] First confirmed US case of Omicron coronavirus variant detected in California

[MSN/WP] Government nears weekend shutdown as Republicans take aim at vaccine and testing mandates

[AP] Powell: Fed ‘not at all sure’ inflation will fade next year

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Powell Says Fed Policy Will Adapt Amid Risk of Persistent Inflation

[Reuters] U.S. manufacturing presses ahead; labor market gaining traction

[CNBC] CEOs and insiders sell a record $69 billion of their stock, and the year isn’t over yet

[CNBC] WHO says South Africa Covid hospitalizations are rising but it’s too soon to know severity of omicron

[Reuters] Turkey spends money it doesn’t have

[Reuters] U.S. tells Russia to pull back from Ukraine or face painful sanctions

[NYT] A Top Official Says the Fed Will ‘Grapple’ With Faster Bond-Buying Taper

[WSJ] In the Fight Against Omicron, Scientists See Glimmers of Hope