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1. BIDEN PROMISES TO WORK WITH MANCHIN TO 'GET SOMETHING DONE' President Biden vowed Tuesday that he and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would work out their differences on a major
spending package to expand the social safety net and fight climate change. Manchin this week said he couldn't support Biden's $2 trillion Build Back Better proposal, effectively
killing it just days after offering a counterproposal that reportedly came in around $1.8 trillion. Democrats need Manchin's vote, along with every other Democrat's, to pass the
measure in the 50-50 Senate. Biden told reporters at the White House that he didn't hold a grudge against Manchin, and would keep working with the more conservative Democrat to push
through policies that would help families and lift people out of poverty. "Sen. Manchin and I are going to get something done," Biden said. The Associated Press 2. KELLOGG WORKERS
APPROVE CONTRACT ENDING 11-WEEK STRIKE Kellogg workers voted on Tuesday to ratify a tentative labor contract, ending a strike at four cereal plants that began in early October. The contract
covers about 1,400 employees at Kellogg plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee who are represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers
International Union. Union president Anthony Shelton said the agreement "makes gains and does not include concessions." Kellogg said the contract gives all workers immediate wage
increases and cost of living adjustments, as well as a faster and clearer track to higher wages for new hires. Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane said the employees will go back to work on Monday.
The company had hired outside workers to help keep the plants operating during the strike. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from
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directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. CBS News 3. BIDEN CONSIDERS LIFTING TRAVEL
BAN IMPOSED TO SLOW OMICRON'S ARRIVAL President Biden said Tuesday that he is considering lifting a month-old travel ban he imposed on foreign travelers arriving from South Africa and
seven other southern African countries to slow the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa. Omicron has since surpassed Delta as the dominant coronavirus
variant in the United States. "Remember why I said we put the travel ban on. It was to see how much time we had before it hit here," Biden said. "But we're past that
now." He said the federal government would distribute 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests under a campaign to contain Omicron. New cases have fallen in South Africa, suggesting
Omicron infections might have peaked there. The Wall Street Journal The Associated Press 4. STOCK FUTURES STRUGGLE AFTER TUESDAY'S RALLY U.S. stock futures were mixed early Wednesday
after Tuesday's big gains snapped a three-day losing streak. The earlier losses were fueled by concerns about potential economic fallout from the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus
variant. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up by 0.1 percent while those of the S&P 500 were flat at 6:30 a.m. ET. Futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq were down by 0.1
percent. All three of the main U.S. indexes surged on Tuesday. The Dow gained 1.6 percent, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq jumped by 1.8 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.
Travel-related stocks outperformed the rest of the market, with Delta and United airlines rising by 5.9 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, and Carnival cruise line jumping by 8.7
percent. CNBC 5. WALGREENS, CVS LIMIT AT-HOME COVID TEST PURCHASES AS DEMAND SPIKES Walgreens and CVS said Tuesday they are limiting purchases of at-home COVID-19 testing kits due to a surge
in demand as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly across the United States. The nation's two largest pharmacy chains have seen some stores run out of the tests in recent
days. "To ensure equitable access to tests both in store and digitally, we've added a limit of six test kits per purchase," CVS said in a statement. CVS has more than 9,900
U.S. stores, although nearly 10 percent are scheduled to be closed over the next three years. Walgreens asked customers for patience as "we continue to navigate the evolving pandemic
environment," Walgreens President John Standley said. CNN Explore More Business briefing