Omicron's here. How will the US fight COVID this winter?
Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! President Biden will today unveil his plans for combating COVID-19 as the cold months roll in and as the omicron variant reaches U.S. soil. Alec Baldwin will speak out in his first sit-down interview since the deadly shooting on the set of the movie "Rust" that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. And it's lights out for Major League Baseball – all league business is frozen until a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached.
It's Steve and Jane, with Thursday’s news.
⚖️ A majority of the Supreme Court has signaled it is open to upholding Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but left unresolved the question of how far it may go to undermine the Roe v. Wade decision.
🚔This 17-year-old girl was having a seizure:Police shocked her with a Taser.
😷 "They did the right thing": The first case of the omicron variant in the U.S. was confirmed after an all-night session by scientists in San Francisco. Here's how they found it.
🚨The 15-year-old student accused of firing on his classmates, killing four and injuring seven Tuesday, faced a slew of criminal counts Wednesday as authorities released more details about the events leading up to the attack.
🔴 The suspect accused of mowing down at least 60 people, killing six, during the Waukesha Christmas parade in Wisconsin told Fox News he believes he is being "demonized" and treated like a "monster."
🎅How many days until Christmas? Count down with Advent calendars full of toys, booze and candy.
🎄The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is up! A 79-foot-tall, 12-ton Norway spruce was the centerpiece of a lighting show that included performances from Harry Connick Jr., Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.
Here's what's happening today.
President Biden to unveil winter plan for fighting COVID-19
President Joe Biden is expected to reveal on Thursday his administration's plan for combating COVID-19 this winter as scientists continue to learn more about the emerging omicron variant. Tighter travel rules, free at-home tests and booster shots are key elements, as well as launching hundreds of one-stop-shop sites for entire families — children through grandparents — to get vaccinated or boosted. The president assured the public during a briefing earlier this week that the plan will not entail shutdowns or lockdowns. Biden is scheduled to promote his plan during a visit to the National Institutes of Health on Thursday as people begin hunkering down for winter and gathering for the holidays.
Alec Baldwin says he 'didn’t pull the trigger' in first interview since 'Rust' shooting
In his first sit-down interview since the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set of the movie "Rust," Alec Baldwin is speaking out. The actor, who fired a prop gun that he says he didn't know contained live ammunition, sat down with George Stephanopoulos in an hour-long ABC News special that will air Thursday night (8 p.m. ET/PT, streaming on Hulu after). In a clip of their discussion released Wednesday, Baldwin gets emotional at times as he talks about Hutchins and tears up when Stephanopoulos tells him "the gun was in your hand." Baldwin said he "didn’t pull the trigger."
Just for subscribers:
🦠With omicron already in California, here's what American labs are doing to track case and stop the spread.
🌧Climate change brings a perfect storm of raw sewage and rainfall in cities that can least afford it.
🍼 "Obstetric deserts" are threatening the lives of pregnant people, amplifying maternal mortality in rural Indiana.
🏛 A government shutdown is looming: Here's what we know about where things stand.
🏠"This tiny home community has literally saved my life”: A rise of tiny homes across U.S. cities for the homeless is seen as a temporary fix, experts say.
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here for $1/week. Here is all of our subscriber content.
Newsmakers in their own words: CNN's Chris Cuomo addresses his suspension
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was suspended "indefinitely" this week after records released by New York's attorney general's office showed he was intimately involved in trying to help his brother, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, wade through scandals.
Cuomo briefly spoke out about his suspension from the network Wednesday during his SiriusXM radio show, adding that the "last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues."
ITF meets after WTA suspends China tournaments amid Peng Shuai's accusation fallout
The International Tennis Federation Board meets Thursday to discuss the Women's Tennis Association's suspension of all tournaments in China after former doubles No. 1 player and three-time Olympian Peng Shuai accused a high-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party of sexual assault. Since her allegations, the knowledge of Shuai's whereabouts have been sporadic, and her virtual meeting with the International Olympic Committee last week did little to assure the WTA and the international community of her safety. "The WTA has remained steadfast and true to its values since the outset and we understand their decision," ITF spokesperson Heather Bowler said. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely."
MLB owners lock out players in first work stoppage since 1994-95
With Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players' Association expiring late Wednesday night, the league's 30 owners voted to lock out players beginning Thursday. This creates the first work stoppage since the players walked out in the summer of 1994 and returned for a shorter-than-usual 1995 season. MLB officials met multiple times with union counterparts and players on the MLBPA's executive council, but failed to hammer out an agreement during what's expected to be some contentious negotiations. Commissioner Rob Manfred will freeze all league business until a deal is reached. Manfred, who moved quickly to assign blame to players in a letter to fans released on the league's website, will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.
Smollett defense set to cross-examine star witness
Jussie Smollett's legal team Thursday will seek to dent the credibility of a star witness who said the former "Empire" star recruited him and his brother to stage a racist, homophobic attack on Smollett in January 2019. Much of what Abimbola Osundairo told jurors from the stand Wednesday appears to be corroborated by video and other evidence. Osundairo testified that Smollett asked him and his brother, Olabinjo, "to fake beat him up" and instructed them on how to carry out the alleged hoax in Chicago. Smollett planned a "dry run" and gave him a $100 bill to buy supplies for the staged attack, Osundairo said. "He wanted a camera to catch it," Osundairo said, adding that Smollett said he wanted to use the recording for media purposes.
Also on Thursday: 'Annie Live!' comes to NBC
NBC's "Annie Live!" will be a splashy production of the Tony-winning show, which premiered on Broadway in 1977 and has spawned three film adaptations. The musical, based on a 1920s comic strip, tells the story of an orphan named Annie (12-year-old newcomer Celina Smith) who wins over grumpy billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Harry Connick Jr.) while staying at his mansion for Christmas. Taraji P. Henson, who plays seedy orphanage head Miss Hannigan, Nicole Scherzinger and Titus Burgess also star.
The show is NBC's first live musical since 2018's critically acclaimed (but modestly rated) "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" starring John Legend. Like fellow broadcasters ABC and Fox, NBC has found mixed success with its live musical events. TV critic Kelly Lawler believes the musicals "more often than not have been live train wrecks rather than triumphs."
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday
🔵 "He wanted to be somebody. He wanted to be known": Samir Jefferson, 14, was chased and shot 18 times while waiting for a bus in Philadelphia, according to reports.
🎶 Spotify Wrapped 2021 is available: It's December, which means looking back at the artists and songs you listened to most this year. Here's how to find your list.
🏈 "I wanted to be with the best": New Louisiana State University head football coach Brian Kelly explained why he decided to leave Notre Dame after 12 years.
📺 "Hopefully, I can send a positive message to the nerdy trans girl who wants to be on the show too": Amy Schneider continues to pile up victories on "Jeopardy!" She became the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for a spot in the Tournament of Champions.
🌎 The world's most expensive cities in 2021: Where do Los Angeles and New York rank?
📸 World AIDS Day 2021: Raising awareness, remembering lives lost 📸
People around the world marked World AIDS Day on Wednesday, 40 years after the first reported cases of illnesses and deaths linked to HIV. The epidemic has killed more than 36 million people worldwide, including 700,000 Americans. As part of her World AIDS Day message, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), stressed that the global AIDS response was off track even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the world needed to reset its targets if it is to meet the goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
In the United States, President Joe Biden unveiled a new strategy for combating HIV/AIDS, calling for a renewed focus on vulnerable Americans including older people and gay and bisexual Black and Latino men.
Tap here for photos of World AIDS Day commemorations around the globe.
Contributing: The Associated Press