Thursday, December 23, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Omicron Now In All 50 States


Cases of the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus have now been confirmed in all 50 states, according to NBC News. The highly contagious strain overtook delta as the dominant variant only this past Monday. The number of hospitalizations for treatment of the virus set records in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin. In South Africa, where the variant was first detected, case numbers dropped significantly this week, offering a ray of hope.

➤SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER BIDEN VAX MANDATES: The Supreme Court late Wednesday agreed to hear legal challenges to the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates for large employers and health-care facilities. The court, in an order, said that its consideration for requests to stay those mandates would be deferred until oral argument on Jan. 7.

➤FIRST COVID PILL APPROVED: The first prescription pill to treat COVID-19 has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Pfizer drug, called Paxlovid, will be available for adults and children ages 12 and over with mild to moderate COVID symptoms. It will be prescribed in order to prevent more severe illness. The company says Paxlovid can significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths among people at high risk.


➤CONGRESSWOMAN CARJACKED IN PHILADELPHIA: Congressional Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, was carjacked at gunpoint yesterday afternoon as she left a meeting. Representative Scanlon was not injured. The FBI and Philadelphia police are investigating.


➤BIDEN TEASES 2024 RUN: President Biden said he plans to run for reelection in 2024 if he remains in good health. In an interview on ABC World News Tonight, he hinted he would particularly like a rematch against former President Donald Trump. "Why would I not run against Donald Trump for the nominee? That'll increase the prospect of running," he said.


➤STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT FREEZE EXTENDED: The freeze on student loan repayments has been extended for an additional 90 days, to May 1. President Joe Biden made the announcement yesterday. The balances due on student loans, and the interest owed, have been frozen since March 2020 to relieve the financial stress caused by the pandemic. This is the latest of several extensions.


🛍HOLIDAY SHOPPERS BEAT THE RUSH: American consumers heard those early warnings of a global supply chain backup loud and clear. Many people got their holiday shopping done early and sent off their packages in plenty of time, according to The New York Times. The U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx all report significantly improved delivery time. The Postal Service and UPS were on time with 99% of their deliveries, and FedEx was on time 97% of the time in the two weeks after Thanksgiving.

🌞SCIENTISTS PINPOINT WHEN THE SUN WILL EXPLODE: Our sun is going to implode one day, and our entire solar system will be destroyed when it does. Don't fret, though. Scientists say it won't happen for another five billion years. Our sun is middle-aged, given the lifespan of giant celestial balls of fire, being about five billion years old already, a scientist at the Center for Astrophysics told Live Science.

🛫ONE IN FIVE PASSENGERS FAIL TO SHOW UP FOR FLIGHTS IN RUN-UP TO CHRISTMAS:  It’s no secret that COVID-19 infections have ramped back up in recent weeks, and this is causing people to back out of their holiday plans. European aviation body Eurocontrol reports that since the Omicron’s emergence in late November, air travel in Europe had been at around 75 percent of 2019 levels. Eurocontrol’s Eamonn Brennan says, “Now we’re tracking at 74 percent. But ‘no shows’ are about 20 percent. People don’t want to take the risk of travel.” Manchester Airports Group corporate strategy director Paul Willis adds, “Pre-Omicron we were at about 70 percent of pre-Covid passenger levels. We’ve seen that dramatically reduce because of the testing regime in place. We’re probably down at 45 percent of pre-COVID levels now.” As a result, many airlines are expected to slash their capacity in the New Year due to ongoing travel confusion and last-minute travel bans.

🙋STUDY..TAKING PART IN A CHRISTMAS CONCERT CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER:  With the current state of the world this might not be an option, but it’s an idea to tuck away for the future. Researchers in the UK polled 1,000 people attending Christmas services at Liverpool Cathedral before and at the end of the service, and found that people scored significantly higher on measures of happiness, mental health and wellbeing at the end of the service. University of Warwick researchers say this could mean that taking part in a Christmas concert, or attending a Christmas religious service could potentially make you happier.

🏈TEXAS A&M CAN'T PLAY GATOR BOWL: Texas A&M has announced that it cannot play in the 77th Gator Bowl on December 31st because of an outbreak of COVID-19 combined with season-ending injuries on the team. There's no decision yet on how to proceed but a replacement team to play against Wake Forest is one option being considered.


🏈COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS MAY BE DECIDED BY FORFEIT: Immediately after Texas A&M's announcement, officials of the College Football Playoff said it would not reschedule its New Year's Eve semifinal matchups. Any team that is unavailable to play will forfeit the game, with the opposing team automatically advancing to the January 10th national title game. If two opposing teams can't play, the winner of the other semifinal will be declared champion. If three teams can't play, the remaining team will be declared champion.
 
As of now, number one Alabama is set to play number four Cincinnati, and number 2 Michigan will play number 3 Georgia on Dec. 31. If necessary, the game will be delayed, but no later than January 14th.

🏈2022 PRO BOWL ROSTERS FINALIZED: The complete rosters for the 2022 Pro Bowl were announced by the NFL on Wednesday. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers both have six picks to participate. The Game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 6th.

CHECK IT OUT: USAToday has the complete Pro Bowl lineup.

📺🏀THE NBA CHRISTMAS DAY TV SCHEDULE: Barring last-minute changes, here's the broadcast schedule for Saturday's five NBA games:
  • New York Knicks v. Atlanta Hawks, noon ET on ESPN
  • Milwaukee Bucks v. Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC
  • Phoenix Suns v. Golden State Warriors, 5 p.m. ET on ABC
  • Los Angeles Lakers v. Brooklyn Nets, 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN
  • Dallas Mavericks v. Utah Jazz, 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN




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