A host of alarming new signs suggest that the U.S. economy is on track to deteriorate even faster than had been forecast. A huge reason: A year-end COVID rescue package now looks unlikely.

Why it matters: One of the biggest failures of the current administration and Congress will be a Day One problem for President-elect Joe Biden — and an urgent test of his theory that Republicans will be more willing to work with him once President Trump is gone.

Joe Biden's presidency could bring new efforts to use regulation on Wall Street and action from the Fed and the Treasury to press big companies to take climate change more seriously.

Why it matters: There's a lot of pent-up interest in employing financial regulation to promote better disclosure of climate-related risks and to pressure companies to cut emissions.

DoorDash filed Friday for its IPO, which is expected to price in the window between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The state of play: There's a lot more noise than signal because of the pandemic.

Judy Shelton looks to be within striking distance of getting a seat on the Federal Reserve Board.

Why it matters: Her political background is unprecedented for a Fed candidate, and threatens the central bank's critical apolitical stance.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Friday congratulated President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on their election victory, saying that China "respected the choice of the American people" but noting that the results were still to be finalized "in accordance with U.S. laws and procedures."

Why it matters: China had been one of the few global holdouts, leading to speculation that Beijing was wary of provoking President Trump. China's move comes a day after Biden held calls with U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific. It leaves Brazil, Mexico, North Korea and Russia as three of the only major geopolitical players still waiting to acknowledge Biden's win.

Recovering from the coronavirus does not necessarily mean you'll bounce back to your old, pre-infection self: Most people who survived a severe infection were still dealing with some combination of physical, emotional and financial pain weeks later.

Driving the news: That's the conclusion from researchers who tracked more than 1,600 people who were hospitalized for coronavirus infections in Michigan. Their findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

President Trump is pushing the Senate to confirm his hand-picked nominee for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission, but people familiar with the state of play on Capitol Hill don't expect him to get his wish.

Why it matters: The FCC oversees broadband internet rules, media ownership regulation and other policies that hold special importance to the president. A Trump-aligned commissioner could likely agitate for greater agency involvement in how online platforms moderate speech and otherwise extend Trump's influence into the Biden administration.

Sen. David Perdue, whose upcoming runoff election in Georgia could help determine which party controls the Senate, has been President Trump’s top loyalist in the upper chamber, according to the "Axios on HBO" Trump Loyalty Index.

Why it matters: In the wake of a presidential election largely seen as a referendum on Trump, Perdue’s unbreakable allegiance to the president effectively makes Trump an issue again in the runoff.

The vaccine news airlines have been waiting for arrived this week, raising hopes for a recovery in passenger air travel — but only if the crippled industry can muster the resources to deliver billions of life-saving doses to the world.

Why it matters: A vaccine could restore the public's trust in flying — if it's widely available — and airlines themselves will play a crucial role in what UNICEF calls the world’s largest and fastest vaccine distribution effort in history.

1. Health: The trickiest vaccine launch in U.S. history — Cases surge 40% nationwide — Comorbidities hit patients with developmental disorders hardest.
2. Politics: Biden's Day 1 pandemic plan.
3. Business: America's complacency — Pandemic brings boom times for swaths of corporate America.
4. Energy: Why a vaccine won't save oil markets.
5. Sports: Ivy League cancels winter sports season — The Masters faces big changes after a seven-month delay.
6. Cities: Chicago issues stay-at-home advisory.

With political polls looking close to useless, newsrooms are increasingly turning to internet trends, demographics and local news in an effort to crack America’s baffling political code.

Why it matters: This election proved that polls aren't the only way to measure public opinion trends — and that other measures, like social media, may give us a window into enthusiasm among populations that polls are missing.