Fed Chair Search, Innovation Boost, Infrastructure Push: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Tuesday, Americas. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help you start the day:

• Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard was interviewed for the top job at the U.S. central bank when she visited the White House last week, according to people familiar with the discussions
• The pandemic blew up old business habits, and signs are emerging that this has led to higher productivity
• The Biden administration looks to launch a global infrastructure financing program, intended to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative, with five to 10 flagship projects announced as soon as January, a senior U.S. official said Monday
• Sentiment among U.S. small businesses fell to a seven-month low in October as owners’ views of future economic conditions slumped amid continuing supply-chain and hiring challenges
• Investor confidence in Germany’s economy, meanwhile, unexpectedly improved on expectations the country will benefit from recoveries across the globe once supply bottlenecks dissipate
• Prices that Chinese companies charge for their output likely rose at the fastest pace in more than two decades last month, driven by the continued commodity boom and an energy crunch, coupled with a resurgence of Covid and bad weather
• The second-hand economy is going mainstream and it’s not just for the thrifty anymore as shoppers face shortages and delays for a lot of what’s new
• Reddit’s latest obsession is the Federal Reserve’s reverse repo facility

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