Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Omicron Is Now Dominant COVID Strain


The virus variant known as omicron now accounts for about 73% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. That's a stunning increase from just a week earlier when it was estimated at 12.6% of new cases. There is preliminary evidence that the new strain may cause less severe illness than other versions.

The daily average number of COVID cases in the U.S. reached 133,012 as of Sunday, according to The New York Times. That's a 21% increase in two weeks.

➤EARTHQUAKE SHAKES AREA NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO: An earthquake registering at a magnitude of 6.2 hit Northern California yesterday. Luckily, the quake hit in a sparsely populated area about 210 miles northwest of San Francisco.

➤JANUARY 6TH RIOTER SENTENCED: One of the participants in the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to 46 months in prison. Devlyn Thompson spent three hours on the grounds of the Capitol that day. He hit a police officer with a metal baton and threw a speaker at other officers, accidentally injuring a fellow rioter by mistake. Thompson, who lives in Washington state, had pleaded guilty.


➤FUEL STANDARDS RAISED: New passenger vehicles will be required to get 55 miles to a gallon of gas by 2026. That's the rule just announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency says the new fuel standard will prevent about three billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering our atmosphere by 2050.

➤TRUMP SUES NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the attorney general of New York claiming that her criminal investigation into his company's business dealings and tax filings is a "thinly-veiled effort to publicly malign Trump and his associates." Attorney General Letitia James has requested that Trump sit for a deposition next month, according to a report in The Washington Post.


ࣸ➤BUILDING BACK BETTER, OR NOT? Some Democrats in the White House and Congress say they are determined to keep trying to pass the Build Back Better Act. The ambitious package of social services and environmental programs appeared mortally wounded on Sunday, after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key vote, said he would not support it. Now, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says "we're going to work like hell to get it done." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer insists the Senate will vote on the act early in the new year.


➤P&G RECALLS 20 HAIR CARE PRODUCTS: Procter & Gamble has recalled more than 30 aerosol spray dry shampoo and dry conditioner products, warning that they could contain benzene, a cancer-causing agent. The recalled items include products labeled Pantene, Herbal Essences, Hair Food, Old Spice and Aussie.
 
CHECK IT OUT: For the full list of recalled products, click here.

🐶NEW COMMANDER IN THE WHITE HOUSE: A new puppy named Commander has moved into the White House. He will be company for Champ, the German Shepherd who already lives there. Major, who was Champ's pal, has retired from public life and moved in with family friends. Major had a bad habit of nipping chunks out of White House visitors.


💰YOU THINK YOU GOT A TAX BILL? Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and sometimes the richest person in the world, announced on Twitter that he will pay $11 billion in taxes for this year, if he exercises all of the stock options that are due to expire. That would be the single largest payment ever to the IRS. Musk appears to be touchy about criticism that he and other ultra-rich Americans don't pay enough taxes.

🎅EXPERTS PREDICT GIFT RETURNS WILL REACH RECORD HIGHS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: More people are expected to make holiday gift returns this year as online sales surge. Optoro is a company that manages returns and excess inventory, and estimates that two out of three consumers will return at least one gift during the holiday season this year. Approximately $66.7 billion worth of product is forecasted to be returned by the end of the year, potentially causing supply chain constraints as retailers face shipping delays, increased transportation costs, and labor shortages. The National Retail Federation expects 2021 online sales this holiday season to reach $222.3 billion, a 13 percent increase compared to last year. In addition, consumers started holiday shopping earlier this year to try and avoid supply chain disruptions, and as a result, retailers are seeing returns earlier than usual. This could ultimately benefit consumers, as hard-to-find and “top quality merchandise” could make its way back onto store shelves before Christmas.




ALSO Monday:  Las Vegas 16 Cleveland Brows 14

🏈PRO BOWL NAMES REVEALED: We won't get the complete roster for the 2022 Pro Bowl until tomorrow night, but a bunch of names have already been revealed. The following names flashed onto a billboard yesterday in Las Vegas, where the game will be played on Sunday, February 6th. They are Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.

🏈BUCS' GODWIN OUT FOR THE SEASON: Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin is out for the rest of the season. He suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of Sunday's 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

🏈GIANTS' JONES ALSO ON INJURED LIST: New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will be out for the rest of the season due to a neck injury. He already missed the last three games. Mike Glennon will step up for him.

🏈AND KELCE MAKES IT 51: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list yesterday. That brings the day's reserve list total to 51, the highest number yet. The news came the same day that Kelce was selected for the Pro Bowl for the seventh consecutive year

🏒NHL HITS PAUSE: The National Hockey League plans to pause its season starting tomorrow, two days before its scheduled Christmas break, according to a report on ESPN. All team facilities will close from December 22nd through December 25th as the team struggles through a number of COVID-19 outbreaks among players and staff. Eleven teams have already suspended operations.

⛄WINTER SOLSTICE: WHAT IS IT AND WHEN DOES IT OCCUR THIS YEAR?:  The Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice is today. The shortest day of the year happens today at 10:59 a.m. ET, and 7:59 a.m. PT. It’s the official start of what’s called astronomical winter. The winter solstice occurs annually on December 21st or 22nd and from there, the days once again start growing longer. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, and Summer Solstice happens in the Southern Hemisphere at the same time. And if you’re looking ahead, the vernal equinox, or first day of spring, will occur in the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, March 20th, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET/ 8:22 a.m. PT.




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