Friday, December 24, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Omnicron Is Now Dominant Variant


The Omicron variant is spreading faster than any coronavirus variant yet, with cases surpassing the worst of the previous Delta wave. Daily cases reached 168,409 on Wednesday, according to The New York Times. There is some evidence that the Omicron causes milder symptoms than previous variants. However, it is so easily transmitted that officials fear it could overwhelm the healthcare system in many communities.
  • Chicago and most of the surrounding towns in Cook County will begin requiring proof of vaccination for customers aged five and older to enter indoor public spaces like bars, restaurants and gyms in the new year. Illinois has recorded its two millionth coronavirus diagnosis since the pandemic began, according to Chicago's NBC Channel 5.
  • New York City has scaled back plans for the traditional New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. The crowd will be limited to 15,000, a fraction of the usual turnout. Proof of vaccination will be required, and everyone must wear masks. New York State reported 38,835 positive tests yesterday. Of those, 22,208 were in New York City, a far greater daily number than has been recorded before the new variant appeared.
  • United Airlines has canceled more than 100 Christmas Eve flights, citing a shortage of staff and crew due to the omicron variant.
  • Some European nations are imposing stricter restrictions than have been seen in the U.S. so far. Italy and Spain have reimposed rules mandating mask wearing even outdoors. Northern Ireland will shut down nightclubs starting Sunday. COVID-19 cases had been leveling off in Europe until the Omicron variant sent the numbers soaring again.
  • China's government put all 13 million residents of one city under lockdown after a cluster of coronavirus cases was found there. The virus, which is the Delta variant, is believed to have arrived on a flight from Pakistan earlier this month.

Former President Donald Trump is doubling down on his positive comments about the coronavirus vaccine, despite being booed by a recent crowd in Dallas after revealing that he had gotten a booster shot. "The vaccine is one of the greatest achievements of mankind," he told commentator Candace Owens on Fox News. "I came up with a vaccine, with three vaccines. All are very, very good," he said.

➤FORMER POLICE OFFICER GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER: The former police officer who drew a gun instead of a Taser and fatally shot a young Black man to death at a traffic stop has been found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter. Daunte Wright, who was 20, was pulled over for having an expired tag and an illegal air freshener. The jury deliberated for 27 hours before returning the verdict yesterday. Kim Potter, then a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, was ordered held without bail before sentencing. Demonstrators, some carrying Black Lives Matter signs, applauded the verdict outside.

➤STOCKS HITS RECORD CLOSE: After a three-day selloff, stocks rebounded yesterday. The Standard & Poor's Index rose 0.62% to close at a record 4,726. The Dow Jones rose 197 points to 35,951. Both show gains for the week. The markets are closed for the holiday today.

➤TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO WITHHOLD RECORDS: Former President Donald Trump has appealed to the Supreme Court to block the release of White House records demanded by the House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. The House committee in turn has asked the Court to expedite the matter. The committee is investigating the role of the former president and his aides in attempting to overturn the results of the presidential election.

➤5 CHARGED IN CONGRESSWOMAN'S CARJACKING: The FBI has charged five teenagers with carjacking a vehicle owned by a member of Congress in broad daylight. U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon was approached at gunpoint as she left a meeting in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The car was later located in Delaware.

➤VACCINE TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER IS BEING TESTED: Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic are in the early stages of testing a vaccine to prevent the most aggressive type of breast cancer, known as triple-negative breast cancer. According to CBS News, the vaccine would work by jumpstarting the immune system and attacking any tumors that contain a specific protein that should not be present unless a woman is lactating. If successful, the vaccine would be given to young women at higher risk for breast cancer. A vaccine is considered the Holy Grail of the war on cancer.

➤REFINERY BLAST MAY PUSH GAS PRICES HIGHER: An explosion at a Texas oil refinery early yesterday is expected to push gas prices even higher over the coming months, according to CNN. The ExxonMobil plant near Houston is one of America's largest refineries, and the damage is expected to take some months to repair. Gas at the pump now averages $3.29 a month, an increase of 47% from a year ago. It may go to $4 this spring.


➤TOYS 'R' US TRIES FOR A COMEBACK: Some shoppers at the American Dream mall in New Jersey are experiencing a jolt of déjà vu. There's a brand new Toys 'R' Us store in the mall, three years after the toy retailer's 735 stores shut down. And, yes, pictures of Geoffrey the Giant loom from the walls. The mall store is a harbinger of toys to come. The revived retailer plans to open 400 mini stores within Macy's department stores next year.

🌲THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE:  Christmas trees are common holiday decorations, but did you ever wonder where the tradition began? Fox News reports the tradition of Christmas trees began in the 16th century in Germany. The story goes that Martin Luther was allegedly in awe at the beauty of the stars above the evergreen trees one evening, and tried to recreate the vision for his family at home. In America, the first record of a Christmas tree was from German settlers in Pennsylvania in 1830, but there were community Christmas trees as early as 1747. Many Americans were slow to adopt the tradition, as they viewed Christmas trees as pagan symbols back then. What really made the tradition take off was in 1846 when Queen Elizabeth was illustrated next to a Christmas tree with her family. By the 1890s, Christmas trees ticked up in popularity in the U.S., and the rest is history.

🎅SANTA’S JOURNEY COULD BE GUIDED BY THE NORTHERN LIGHTS:  Santa’s journey could be guided by the Northern Lights this year. Weather experts say a huge solar storm that erupted on the sun on Monday, December 20th, could make the aurora more intense than usual around the North Pole on Christmas Eve. While the aurora might be beautiful, an intense storm such as this can trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellite services and even knock out power grids, though this particular storm is not expected to cause any issues. Daily Mail reports that The Met Office says, “We are seeing a gradual increase in solar activity and associated space weather. This is due to us moving away from solar minimum (late 2019/ early 2020) and towards the next solar maximum (expected around mid-2025). Within the next few years we can expect increasing solar activity, with a corresponding increase in space weather events affecting the near-Earth space environment.” 


NFL TNF: Tennessee Titans 20 S-F 49ers 17.
 

🏈RUTGERS IS GOING TO THE GATOR BOWL: Rutgers has accepted an invitation to take on Wake Forest at the Gator Bowl on December 31st. The Scarlet Knights will be subbing for Texas A&M, which was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 cases among its players and staff. In normal times a team needs six wins to go to a bowl game. If an empty slot remains, it goes to the 5-7 team with the highest academic performance rate. Rutgers was 5-7 for the season and had the highest APR among the remaining teams. It will be the first appearance by the Scarlet Knights in a bowl game since 2014.

🏈SAINTS' ROOKIE GETS HIS CHANCE: Rookie quarterback Ian Book may be the last man standing for the New Orleans Saints, or at least the last quarterback standing. He's expected to start in Monday's game against the Miami Dolphins. All three others who have started for the Dolphins this season are unavailable. Taysom Hill is expected to land on the team's COVID-19 reserve list, as is Trevor Siemian, according to Yahoo! Sports. Jameis Winston is on injured reserve.

🏈TAYLOR HEINICKE IS BACK: The Washington Football Team has taken quarterback Taylor Heinicke off the COVID-19 reserve list, just in time for the Sunday match against the Dallas Cowboys that could keep their postseason hopes alive. The team has 15 other players out.

🏀TIMBERWOLVES' TOWNS ON COVID LIST: Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols, the team reported. Six other Timberwolves players are currently on the list. Towns has lost his mother and six other family members to COVID-19.

⚾BELLINGER AND DODGERS HAVE A DEAL: Cody Bellinger and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $17 million contract before the December 1st lockout that shut down Major League Baseball, according to ESPN. The deal has not been announced because teams are not mentioning players by name during the work stoppage, which will stretch into the new year.

🏈🎄THE NFL CHRISTMAS DAY SCHEDULE: Here's the Week 16 action on Christmas Day.
  • Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox and the NFL Network
  • Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. ET on the NFL Network

⛄WHERE IT’LL BE A WHITE CHRISTMAS: COLD FRONT COULD BRING SNOW TO CITIES SUCH AS SEATTLE AND PORTLAND:   Most of the US will not likely have a white Christmas, but some parts of the West Coast have a higher chance than most. A snowy weekend storm is predicted to hit regions near sea level, including in Washington and Oregon, as well as the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. The storm is predicted to follow heavy precipitation in the region today. Snowy conditions are also expected toward the Intermountain West region, including Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Holiday travel conditions for the rest of the US are expected to remain normal as warmer than usual weather is expected, particularly in the Southern region.



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