officials say it was likely buried by men involved in the pedestal's construction. the larger capsule found today was in water. conservators are looking to open it, hoping the box is still sealed about wasn't breached. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. live from hong kong, i'm anna coren and this is "cnn newsroom." why the suggested quarantine period has been slashed in half. a 14-year-old girl killed by police while shopping for a birthday dress. see the moment that led up to the heartbreaking shooting. and --

we'll count down the top ten business moments of the year. how number one changed every day life for millions. despite a surge in covid cases in the u.s., the senters for disease control is issuing new guidelines to shorten the isolation time for people who test positive for the virus. the cdc now recommends people can stop isolating after five days, rather than ten, if they don't have symptoms and wear a mask for another five days. experts say transmission usually happens early in the course of the illness. a day or two prior to symptoms. and two to three days after. well, the number of children admitted to hospitals with covid is up 35% in the past week.

new york city has seen a five-fold increase this month. meanwhile, sickouts from covid have forced airlines to cancel or delay thousands of flights worldwide. the top infections disease expert in the u.s. says the administration is working hard to increase access to testing across the country. >> it's a combination of people concerned appropriately about omicron, which is spreading so rapidly, as well as the fact that we're in the holiday season and people want to get tested before they start mingling with their family and their friends and traveling, so, it really has made a major upsurge in demand for the tests, when we already are in a situation where we don't have enough tests at this particular point in time. >> dr. anthony fauci speaking there. well, we're getting reports from our correspondents from around the world on all the coronavirus developments. we begin this hour with alexandra field in new york.

>> reporter: new guidance from the cdc. people infected with covid who are asymptomatic can shorten their isolation from ten days to five and then wear a mask around others for five more. those who are exposed and vaccinated should quarantine for five days while those who are boosted may not need to quarantine at all after an exposure. all this, after the country feels the strain of an omicron surge. >> we're certainly going to continue to see a surge for awhile. i hope we peak and come down quickly. >> reporter: as infections spread rapidly, health officials still believe those who are vaccinated and boosted should remain well protected from severe disease, but there are consequences effecting everyone. >> we have, as of this morning, 115 staff members out ill with covid, who have tested positive. >> reporter: federal emergency response teams are already working to ease the burden on health care workers in colorado, michigan, minnesota, vermont, new hampshire and new mexico, as

covid-related staffing shortages cripple even more industries. new york city now running fewer subway trains with too many workers out sick. and airlines are at their busiest time of year leaving even more passengers stranded. just about everywhere. domestically, 1,000 more flights canceled today. more than 2,500 globally. >> the reason that our flight was canceled is because of lack of flight attendants, so, yeah, on delta, so, i guess it's sad. it's really sad. >> reporter: four cruise ships with reported cases of covid were turned away from their ports of call, an all too familiar reminder of when it all started. sports are not immune, either. the military bowl and the fenway bowl, among the latest games canceled. as more holiday plans get scrapped this year, the struggle to get covid tests just too real. at a busy site in miami, the wait is more than two hours. alexandra field, cnn, new york.

well, this is a doctor from california pacific medical center and the founder of end world project.org. she joins me now from california. doctor, great to have you with us. let's start with the cdc, reducing isolation period from ten to five days. why are they doing this at a time when cases are surging across the united states? >> you know, this change in recommendation for both isolation and quarantine was made really by looking at the science. which indicates that while omicron is certainly more contagious, the majority of transmission of the virus happening early in the course of illness. usually in the one to two days before the onset of symptoms and the two to three days after. so, regardless of vaccination status, people who test positive should isolate for five days, as we heard, and then if they don't have any symptoms at that time, they can leave isolation, if they can continue to wear a mask for five more days to minimize

the risk of infecting other people. so, a big shift here from cdc based on the science in an effort to minimize is in interruption of work and school and our daily lives. >> for sure. it's based on the science, but isn't there a risk of spreading the virus, considering the infectious period can vary, as you say, mainly it's a few days, but it can go up to a few weeks. >> you know, it certainly can, but that's not the majority of cases, of course, and, you know, one thing that i would say is that if you have access to a rapid antigen test and you are, in fact, in isolation five days in or so, by all means use it, you know, this is extra information so people can make the best decisions to stop the spread of the virus to others, of course, if you have symptoms, plan to continue to stay home, but the fact is, of course, these tests are in short supply in many parts of the country. we expect there to be many more available later in january, but that doesn't help the people who

are infected right now and so, that's why the current recommendation is to leave isolation only if you do not have symptoms and then continue to wear a mask for five more days to lower that risk of infecting other people. >> let's talk about that rapid antigen test, because there are doctors out there calling on people who are released from that five-day isolation period to get one of those tests. this is something that has not been recommended by the cdc. white not? >> you know, it's a great question. i certainly can't speak for the cdc. i suspect it's because there is a shortage of tests, as i mentioned. we do think that come first and second week of january, as president biden has spoken to, this last week, there will be many, many more tests available. again, that doesn't help the people who are infected right now. and so that's why we all have to proceed with caution and with the current recommendation of leaving isolation, again, only if you are asymptomatic and, of course, continuing to wear a

mask for five more days to lower that risk of getting other people sick. >> doctor, one health official say that people should brace themselves for a tough january. we know that cases are at near record levels with the spread of the only krone variant. what are you predicting in the weeks ahead? >> you know, anna, it's hard to make predictions, right? we are often wrong, but because omicron is so transmissible, it's spreading like wildfire, there are some optimistic signs coming from europe and south africa that it may cause less severe illness, but the very real concern here is that omicron spreads so fast our hos hospitals could still be overwhelmed. here's the thing. if there are massive numbers of people who are suddenly infected all at once and just a small percentage require hospitalization, that's still a really large number of people. and that could collapse hospital systems, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. we do expect that every health

care worker will be essential in the coming weeks, but what i'm really worried about is what happens when more of us get sick and need to isolate at home. 20% of health care workers during south africa's omicron surge fell ill and that's already starting to happen here. you know, you can only receive high quality medical care if there's enough beds and hands and supplies to go around, and so, we need everyone's help and we truly are all still in this together. >> doctors, nurses, health officials are burnt out, considering they've been fighting this for the past two years. there is clear evidence that a booster, a third shot, will lift your immunity to about 75% and now israel is studying the effectiveness of a fourth vaccine dose. what are your thoughts about this? >> well, anna, to date, we know that immunity wanes over a period of months and a third shot, or a booster dose, as we're calling it, is the best way to protect yourself from

having a severe case. certainly among the highest risk people, another booster may prove to be the right call. you know, the whole world is watching israel and we'll see what the data shows. here in the u.s., though, the fact remains that tens of millions of people are unvaccinated and only 30% or so of eligible americans have received a booster dose. and this is a real problem, given everything i've said and we know that boosters are really the best way to reduce severe illness from omicron, so, we have a lot of work to do. >> well, doctor, great to get your perspective, your insight and we thank you for everything that you're doing. >> thank you for having me. well, let's now go to cnn's stephen zhang with the latest on china's efforts to stamp out a growing outbreak in ta city. this is a city of 13 million people. cases there are rising.

what's the latest in the efforts to battle this outbreak? >> reporter: well, anna, you know, the authorities are doing what they have always been doing in all previous cases of local outbreaks, as they continue to stick to their zero covid policy. that is mass testing, mass quarantine and extensive contact tracing.putting on a brave face right now, saying the situation is under control, despite the numbers we've seen in the past few days. on monday, they recorded 175 locally transmitted cases, a record for a chinese city since march of 2020. but they say this is only to be expected, as they continue to conduct these city-wide testing. but they say this is also very much part of the plan, as the city remains under a strict lockdown for all 13 million residents, so, as they do more testing, more cases will be uncovered. but most of them, according to most experts, are close contacts

of previous cases and since the city is under strict lockdown, there is no danger of this virus spreading to other parts of the country, because, remember, not only travel in and out of the city has been suspended, within the city, public transportation has been halted and most public venues have been closed. the city's top officials actually are saying the city, what the city needs right now is to come to a complete standstill as the government focuses on containing this virus in this sprawling metropolis. this is obviously the kind of draconian measures we see they have taken time and again in this top-down power structure, you know, in this one party political system, but they say this is effective and we've been talking about flight cancellations in many other parts of the world, but in this country, flight cancellations very sudden and massive have become the norm for a long time.

one cases emerge, that city's airport almost immediately shuts down and no matter how big or small that airport is and that is certainly true here, which hosts a major aviation hub that the city's airport is among the top ten busiest in this country, even last year amid the pandemic, they handled more than 31 million passengers. but right now, the airport completely shutdown. anna? >> 13 million people coming to a standstill. that is a big ask. stephen, thank you for the update. well, investigations are under way in california after a police officer's stray bullet killed a teenage girl. and now, lapd have released video leading up to the tragic incident. and a colorado judge is scheduling a hearing to reconsider the 110-year sentence for a truck driver convicted in a fatal crash. we'll have those details just ahead. in ma rketing. and a follow up.

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bells will be ringing all week at st. george's cathedral in his former cape town parrish. t tutu will lie in state there on friday ahead of his funeral on new year's day. only 100 people can attend due to covid restrictions. tutu, anti-about paratide activist, has been called the country's moral conscience. cape town city hall is now bathed in purple light, the color of his robes. the foundation of nelson mandela, south africa's first black president, wrote, "he was larger than life and for so many in south africa and around the world, his life has been a blessing. his contributions against injustice locally and globally are matched only by the depth of his thinking." tutu was 90 years old. a warning. our next story contained images that may be hard to watch. they show the moments leading up to the deadly shooting of a

teenage girl by los angeles police. the 14-year-old was trying on clothes in a store dressing room with her mother when a stray bullet passed through the wall and killed her. police were aiming at an assault suspect who had been attacking women at the store. cnn's kyung lah has the details. >> reporter: this video is from the perspective of the los angeles police department. it was released so that people in the community can understand what responding officers were arriving to. there were reports of multiple -- multiple reports of a possible shooting happening inside a store, so the lapd released 911 calls. store surveillance video and body cam footage video. we want to warn you, the video you're about to see may be upsetting. in the store surveillance video, you see a man acting erratically, carrying a solid bike lock and then attacking three random women. one of the women, he strikes her

multiple times, pulling her by her hair and then strikes her until she is bloody. officers enter the store, they see the injured woman as well as the attacker and then they fired. >> hey, slow down, slow down, let me take point with the rifle. hey, back up. >> get down. >> you got it, you got it? >> he's hitting her now on the right-hand side. >> she's bleeding, she's bleeding. >> hold on, hold on. i got it -- >> shots fired, shots fired. >> reporter: one of the bullets fired by one of the officers skipped off the floor and went through the dry wall into a dressing room where 14-year-old valentinaor land day peralta was

there. she was hugging her mother and praying, according to her family. the lapd did not recover a gun from this attacker. k key young la, cnn, los angeles. a colorado judge has set a hearing for next month to reconsider the 110-year sentence for a truck driver convicted in a 2019 crash that killed four people. cnn's lucy kafanov is following developments from denver. >> reporter: the judge on monday scheduled a resentencing hearing for january 13th. district attorney alexis king asked the court to reconsider that lengthy 110-year prison sentence, potentially reducing it to 20 or 30 years. she said this was based on the facts of the case, as well as conversations with the victims and their families. now, when the court reconvenes next month, it will be an in-person hearing. the judge said he does not want the defendant to testify. he was driving 85 miles an hour in a semitractor trailer in 2019

when his brakes failed, causing that crash. four people died. others were injured. he was found guilty on 27 charges, including several counts of vehicular homicide and assault, but because colorado's mandatory minimum sentencing laws, he is facing more than a century behind bears. his attorney calling for legal reforms. take a look. >> the law doesn't really distring wish between people like mr. maderos who is not a danger to society. and i think the law needs to make those kind of exceptions and understand that there is a difference between mr. maderos and those other people. >> reporter: this case sparking nationwide attention. nearly 5 million people signing a petition asking the colorado governor to reduce the sentence of give clemency.

lucy kafanov, cnn, denver. still to come, israel is leading the way in studying whether a second covid-19 booster will help contain the omicron variant. ♪ ♪ ♪ experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list event. ♪ ♪ ♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ inner voice (sneaker shop owner): i'm surprising my team with a preview of the latest sneaker drop. because i can answer any question about any shoe. but i'm stumped when it comes to payroll.

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♪ the coronavirus pandemic seems to be finding a new target across the u.s. -- children. pediatric hospital admissions are up 35% in the past week. new york city has seen a five-fold increase this month and admissions in washington have doubled. meanwhile, the centers for disease control and prevention is revising its guidelines for

people recovering from covid. it now says five days of isolation is enough, as long as a person has no symptoms and continues to wear a mask for the next five days. the top infectious disease expert in the u.s., dr. anthony fauci, says he expects covid cases will continue to surge, but he's dismissing the need for a vaccine mandate for air travel, at least for now. >> right now, i don't think people should expect that we're going to have a requirement in domestic flights for people to be vaccinated. when i was asked that question, i gave an honest answer. it's on the table and we consider it, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. i doubt if we're going to see something like that in the reasonably foreseeable future. >> well, more than 2,800 flights worldwide were canceled monday, according to tracking websight flightaware. and with covid cases surging, the travel chaos is threatening to extend through the new year. cnn's richard quest has the latest.

>> reporter: it is not a surprise that the largest number of cancellations are in the united states and china. china is locked down to outsiders, therefore the domestic industry has managed to continue, while in the united states, there's been a huge upswing in travel demand, as things get back to normal. however, the airlines are working on very thin margins in terms of staffing shortages. so, when the staff started calling in sick with covid or isolating or in quarantine, well, that's when the effects were truly felt. in europe, not so many cancellations, but that's because the industry isn't fully back on its feet. so, now you've got airlines like luft than is a that are already announcing cancellations for the winter schedule, not because they're don't have the staff, but because bookings are down as a result of omicron. overall, the airline industry is once again trying to do its

best, trying to keep things going, and essentially trying not to lose more money. but it's flying into some very heavy weather and it doesn't seem like that's going to change any time soon. richard quest, cnn, london. the cruise industry has also been hit hard by a surge of new covid cases. at least four cruise ships were turned away from ports or couldn't let passengers disembark due to outbreaks onboard. one passenger who sailed on carnival's "freedom" ship says the company kept travelers in the dark about the outbreak. here's part of her conversation with my colleague kaitlan collins. >> the cruise started off normal and day after day, more people were testing positive and when you're at sea, you can't go anywhere, get off the ship so it felt like we were kind of trapped, not knowing how many people had covid. >> and how did you find out that other passengers had tested positive? did the cruise tell you or how did you guys learn about that?

>> so, initially the cruise refused to tell us anything. we heard news reports from the news that there was covid on the ship. it wasn't until the next day when we were denied entry that the captain did say that there was a small number of covid cases, but pretty much the passengers that we know that had covid were basically posting on facebook that they were covid positive. >> wow. so you found out from not just from the ship directly initially. and so, what happened once you found out that people had tested positive? you weren't able to go to some of those ports. were people in their rooms or still going about their business? >> i mean, i think it definite you will was split. there was plenty of people who were continuing their cruise like normal. i know for me personally i was spending a lot more time in my state room and staying in the outside areas of the ship. a trial study on the effectiveness of a second round of covid boosters is under way in israel. health workers at an israeli

hospital are getting the fourth shot to see if it will help contain the spread of the omicron variant. a panel of experts recommended the second booster last week, but final approval is still pending. cnn's elliott got key has the details. >> let's do it! >> reporter: yet another shot in the arm. this, says the shiba medical center, is the first time in the world healthy subjects are receiving a fourth shot of covid vaccine. >> well, i don't feel much as a guinea pig. my own immunity has dropped below the threshold and therefore not only am i myself exposed, but potentially expoelgzed to the omicron, but more importantly, i might be a potential hazard to my heart transplant patients that i'm taking care of. >> reporter: his colleagues, all of those anti-bold levels have also dropped, were lining up to play their part in this trial, to show if a fourth shot of the pfizer vaccine is safe and effective. this is among some of the first

of 150 health care workers of the shiba medical center to receive the fourth dose of the vaccine. it's not the much publicized rollout of the fourth shot campaign, but it could be a step in that direction. that, at least, is what prime minister seems to want. last week, he welcomed the decision by a panel of experts to recommend the additional booster for over 60s, health workers and people with suppressed immune systems, but the health ministry's director general has yet to sign it off. some health experts remain unconvinced. >> i didn't think that it's right, right now, at this moment. it may change in a week, you know, it depends on what we see is happening in england, what's happening right now here. if we see that there's more severe disease, maybe it will be correct. i think that's why it's so important to start research as soon as possible. >> reporter: initial results from the study are expected by the end of the week, by which time, israel's rising covid case

load will likely be even heavier. elliott got kin, cnn, israel. coming up on cnn, already traumatized by what they went through in afghanistan, more than 1,000 afghan children are now living in limbo and desperate to know whether they'll ever see their parents again. vs. m ozzarella stick when heartburn hits, fight back fast with tums chewy bites. fast heartburn relief in every bite. crunchy outside, chewy inside. ♪ tums, tums, tums, tums ♪ tums chewy bites

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afghanistan war commission to examine the war in afghanistan in the wake of the u.s. withdrawal. we're learning new details aen the chaotic evacuations in the final days of the u.s. war in afghanistan. new data from the office of refugee resettlement shows some 1,400 children were e vac waited to the u.s. without their parents. many of the children tried to flee with their families but got separated in the chaos. u.s. officials say the majority of the children were quickly released to live with sponsors including other family members, but about 250 remain in government custody. advocates say that most of them have no family to live with in the u.s. and for those with relatives stuck in afghanistan, it's unclear when, how, or even if they'll ever be able to be reunited. > well, joining me now to discuss the humanitarian crisis in

afghanistan is the u.n. secretary-general deputy special representative for afghanistan and a u.n. resident and humanitarian coordinator. doctor, great to have you with us. the situation in afghanistan is bleak. the u.n. has been sounding the alarm for months. as someone living in kabul, dealing with the humanitarian crisis every single day, please explain to us how bad the situation is on the ground right now. >> thank you very much. situation indeed continues to be bad and more than half of the population of the country is in severe malnutrition or in some sort of a malnutrition or having limited access to food. what that means in practical terms, also, that children are in the winter months do not have access to food and then if they are brought in the hospital, then there is no heating and then there is measles or an

infection and the outcomes of that situation are very, very pessimistic. so, what we're looking at is a very harsh winter situation on the grounds. we're seeing that the people have not been paid salaries in many sectors. we're doing our best to provide the assistance and distribute the food and winterization items, but the winder hter has treating people harsh. >> what does this mean for your efforts and other ngos who have been struggling to provide aid to those who most need it since the taliban takeover on the 15th of august? >> the adoption -- move into the right direction. now, we have good access and this will help us, the new licenses. now, let's also remember that

humanitarian action isn't going to substitute the economy of afghanistan, isn't going to substitute the need for the country to go back to work, to be able to maintain economic transactions for the banks to work. i think we are in a better place, we still need to resolve the larger picture. humanitarian aid is not a substitute for the country's economy. >> recently, i did a story on afghan children facing starvation and we documented a number of children receiving treatment in hospital. as we know, so many children are not treated. the u.n. estimates 1 million children under the age of 5 could starve to death. what timeframe are we talking about? >> we don't have much time, i'm afraid. this is a life and death situation, and the people need aid now, they don't need it tomorrow, day after. every day, hospital goes without

heating, a child is not getting food means nothing good, i have to be very honest. and you have covered it extensively and you have seen it with my colleagues who work in the food second tomorrow. we're doing our best. we're very grateful for flexibilities. the aid is flowing, but keeping the country of 40 million people supported with aid and in harsh winter months with the roads being cover bed by the snow, th airports having limited accessibility is not an easy task. we have heroic teams on the ground, including ngos and humanitarians and i really appreciate what they're doing right now. >> international crisis group warns that famine in afghanistan could kill more people than the last two decades of fighting in the country. i've also spoken to an expert who believes that the number will be in the tens of thousands who die. do you share the same fears?

>> i share -- i can't confirm the numbers, because i don't have it in front of my eyes, but i do believe this is a large crisis. also part of the truth is, for a long time, we didn't have an access to the entire territory of the country, because of the ongoing military hostilities, because of the access issues. now that we have an access to the entire territory of the country, including those areas who are controlled by taliban, we are seeing a far greater need, because in those villages and remote areas high in the mountains and in hard to reach places, we're not able to reach before. and what we have there is a total lack of services. in general, afghanistan's current situation, the problems they're facing in afghanistan, are the problems of all of us collectively not being able, for the last 50 years, to address the issue of development of rural areas of afghanistan.

it is what stares at us through all this news is lack of development, lack of capacity, lack of basic livelihood in the rural areas of afghanistan. afghanistan village is poor, impoverished and that's fundamental issue. >> well, the international commu community certainly has an obligation to help the people of afghanistan in their time of need. doctor, we thank you and your team for the amazing work that you are doing. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for inviting us and keeping the focus on afghanistan. thank you. >> our pleasure. coming up on "cnn newsroom," a review of the top ten business see the details of your great-grandparents wedding day... ...or the record that welcomed your great-grandmother to the world. your family story is waiting to be discovered, and now you can search for those fascinating details

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i want to make the most of every meal we have together. ♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com the s&p 500 closed on a record high monday, marking a fourth straight session of gains. strong u.s. holiday sales boosted the index. the s&p was up 1.4%.

the dow and the nasdaq also finished higher, as investor tension appeared to ease over the omicron variant. well, omicron is having its impact as airlines cancel thousands of flights. broadway shuts down shows and offices are closed once again. nevertheless, financial experts are cautiously optimistic about 2022, after a solid economic recovery this year. christine romans reviews the other top business stories as the year ends. ♪ >> reporter: the billionaire space race. facebook's biggest crisis. cyber attacks held industries hostage. while the economy dashed to reopen. these are the top business stories of 2021. number ten. a reddit rebellion sparked a stock frenzy. >> david versus goliath story.

>> in january, an army of day traders bought up shares in retailer game stop. >> game stop shares up nearly 2,000% so far this year. >> now, this wasn't due to game stop's value as a business. the redditors drove up prices to score profits and hurt establishment investors who bet against struggling companies. then, trading app robin hood crashed the party. >> robin hood announced trading restrictions. it cited recent volatility. game stop trades are now blocked. >> that infuriated traders and robin hood's ceo later apologized before congress. >> i'm sorry for what happened, but what i can commit to is making sure that we improve from there. >> number nine. billionaires raced into space. triggering a space tourism boom. >> the new space race. the battle of the billionaires. >> the modern space race is not

between countries, but ultra irish men. richard branson, jeff bezos, elon musk, all funneled their immense wealth into space travel and innovation. and this year, branson's and branson took flight on july 11th. >> becoming the first person to fly into space, aboard a rocket that he helped fund. >> reporter: edging out bezos' launch by nine day. it was private space flights, sending celebs -- >> captain kirk himself, william shatner -- >> reporter: and thrill-seekers into space. number eight, cyber attacks for ransom, unless companies paid up. like meat supplier jbs usa. >> jbs usa said it paid a

ransom. >> reporter: it compromised hundreds of companies. and in may, hackers forced one of the largest u.s. gas pipelines offline. >> the colonial pipeline, site of a massive cyber attack. >> reporter: fuel distribution shuttered across the east coast, and beginning panic buying and shortages. >> we see the lines that are building up as people try to get gas. >> reporter: it drew the white house's attention, which drove the private sector to do more against cyber security. >> reporter: number seven, corporate america needed a vaccinated workforce so it took action. >> united airlines announced a vaccine monday date for all of its workers. >> tyson foods will require all workers to be fully vaccinated. >> reporter: companies pushed back to 2022. despite warnings of employee revolt, most workers complied, as cases continued to rise, the federal government stepped in,

announcing vaccine mandates for all large employers. >> this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. we've been patient. our patience is wearing thin. >> reporter: but the biden administration's efforts have met significant legal challenges. number six, facebook's biggest crisis, conducting wide ranging scrutiny for real-world harm. a whistleblower leaked hundreds of documents before heading to capitol hill. >> facebook has interests between its profits and the common good, it chose to prioritize its profits. >> reporter: there were damming revelations for facebook, including that it allowed extremist groups to flourish. another bombshell, that the platform harms the mental health of teens. facebook pushed back saying the documents were cherry-picked and hosted a flashy rebranding. >> starting today, our company is now meta. >> reporter: a distraction from

the p.r. nightmare. number five, the pandemic economy roared back to life but proved hard to predict. the sudden restart causing wild swings in economic data. >> the u.s. has finally recovered to prepandemic levels. >> gdp rising at a weaker 2% rate in the third quarter. >> reporter: reports that were difficult to forecast. >> job numbers were a big disappointment. only 235,000 jobs were added. >> economists have predicted a gain of some 728,000 jobs and more. >> reporter: overall, the economy bounced back, sending stocks to record highs. helped along by the federal reserve's unprecedented financial stimulus. then, in november -- >> the federal reserve will start to tap the brakes now and also slow down its bond purchases. >> reporter: soon after, biden renominated jerome powell for another term. number four, a labor shortage

left businesses struggling and workers in a position of power. this year saw the great resignation. >> millions quitting the workforce in recent months. 4.4 million quits in september. >> reporter: many looking for better jobs. there were health concerns and older americans retired. lack of child care pushed many women to the sidelines. the shortage left employers scrambling to find workers. >> all the companies raising wages. under armour, chipotle, walmart. >> thousands of canceled flights. >> american airlines has ca canceled 250 flights this morning as the company deals with staffing shortages. >> reporter: it gave the american worker leverage, leading to several high-profile strikes, hollywood sets, kellogg's and john deere, all looking for better pay and benefits. historic government aid helped millions from the pandemic. in march, congress passed the $1.9 trillion american rescue

plan. >> this historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of the company. >> reporter: the scope of the relief was that, stimulus checks, child tax credit, many gop-led states ended those early, citing labor shortages. >> half of the states stopped giving the extra unemployment benefits. they think that was a disin disincentive. that was not the only issue. restaurant aid ran out fast. venue relief ran out in months. and eviction moratorium ended before anybody received rental assistance. >> money allotted for this program has not been spent. >> reporter: the unprecedented relief was a vital lifeline for many americans. number two, a supply chain nightmare affected the u.s. economy. this year, americans flush with stimulus cash skyrocketed demand, leaving the supply chain trying and failing to catch up.

that meant port congestion. >> this bottleneck of container ships as far as the eye can see. >> reporter: amplified by a trucker shortage. that led to items absent from shelves, missing critical parts, halting production. >> general motors will stop production on two of its pickups next week. speaking of higher price ises, number one, inflation explodes. ra raising costs for everything americans buy. >> inflation in levels not seen in 30 years. >> reporter: the downside of an economy bouncing back from the pandemic crash. americans paid more for clothes, cars, electronics, toys. a red-hot housing market triggered prices. but the most noticeable pinch was at the grocery store. >> i normally went to the grocery store to pick up whatever. now, i tend to price shop. >> reporter: or at the pump. >> you want to eat steak or fill up your tank?

>> reporter: government officials assured americans the price hike was temporary, but there was an upside, fatter paychecks. if prices fade assay, it could set up consumers well for 2022. >> thanks so much for watching. i'm anna carin live from hong kong. we'll be back with more after this short break. ook! [ kimberly ] before clearchoice, my dental health was so bad i would be in a lot of pain. i was unable to eat. it was very hard. kimberly came to clearchoice with a bunch omissing teeth, struggling with pain, with denl disease. clrchoice dental implants solved her dental issues. [ kimberly ] i feel so much better. i feel energized to go outside and play with my daughter.

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hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. live from hong kong, i'm anna