Tuesday, December 21st, 2021
Omicron Takes Over, Sports on Hold & Winter Solstice
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Schwab.com/plan and kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code)
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to read the latest happenings...
Omicron Dominant Strain in New Cases
Omicron surpassed delta to officially become the most common Covid-19 variant across the U.S. The CDC says the new variant made up about 73% of new cases last week. That's nearly six times more than the week before. In parts of the country, it’s spread even faster. The CDC director says she’s not surprised by the new numbers because other countries have already seen how contagious omicron can be. It seems once it’s reported, it spreads throughout the population in a matter of weeks.
Read More: Stat, AP, WSJ, NBC News, CDC
New Omicron Studies
Early data out of South Africa seemed to suggest omicron was milder than other versions of Covid-19. A smaller percentage of people who tested positive ended up in the hospital, and far fewer ended up needing intensive care. However, early data out of the UK shows omicron is no less severe than delta. Scientists say this means it’s just too early to know for sure. President Biden is scheduled to give a speech today about the rise of omicron in the U.S. and his plans to fight it.
Read More: Reuters, NBC News, Al Jazeera, Imperial College London
NHL Pauses Season
Another surge of Covid-19 has made the National Hockey League decide to pause its season. A lot of games were already postponed because players had Covid-19. So, the league decided to start the holiday break early. The plan is to hopefully get back to the schedule on December 27th. The NHL is the first pro sports league in the U.S. to suspend all of its games. But, plenty of other sports have also been impacted.
Read More: ESPN, USA Today, NY Times, NHL
More Sports, Entertainment Canceled
A lot of big events have been rescheduled or canceled recently. More than 50 NFL players went on the Covid-19 reserve list, and a few games had to be pushed back. In the NBA, more than 70 players have been sidelined, and games were postponed. In the world of entertainment, the Radio City Rockettes in NYC canceled the rest of the season, and several Broadway shows canceled all their performances until at least Christmas. In Miami, iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball concert was called off. For now, health officials say it’s okay to celebrate Christmas with loved ones, but they recommend taking a rapid Covid-19 test beforehand.
Read More: ABC News, Bloomberg, Axios, LA Times, Deadline
Pentagon Updates Extremism Rules
The Pentagon is clarifying its rules to address a rise of extremism in the military. Among some of the details, service members can’t advocate terrorism or support overthrowing the government. They also can’t fundraise or rally on behalf of an extremist group, and they can’t “like” or repost extremist views on social media. The punishment will vary case-by-case. The Pentagon also says it’s expanding its screening for recruits and has more education and training on this topic.
Read More: AP, WaPo, ABC News, NY Times, DOD
Northern California Earthquake
A big chunk of California got rattled by a powerful earthquake this week. A 6.2 magnitude quake hit the tiny town of Petrolia in northern California. Scientists estimate about 25,000 people felt strong shaking. People hundreds of miles away say they felt a little trembling, too. Thankfully, no one has been reported seriously hurt. But, buildings were damaged, and items flew off shelves at local businesses. Michigan Tech says an earthquake of this size has the potential to cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. This time around, the U.S. Geological Survey says it probably caused less than $10 million in damages.
Read More: SF Chronicle, USA Today, CNN, Weather Channel, USGS
West Coast Storms Coming
Americans who are traveling for the holidays this week are getting lucky with mostly good weather. But on the west coast, a few storms are coming. They’re expected to hit the entire Sierra Nevada region starting tonight. Higher elevations will get up to 10 feet of snow this week. For the lower elevations, it’s a lot of rain. Big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are among those preparing to get waves of rain this week ahead of Christmas.
Read More: CNN, WaPo, Axios, NWS
New EPA Auto Pollution Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now says new passenger cars must average 40 miles per gallon starting in 2026. That's up from the rule the Trump administration set last year that required cars to reach 32 miles per gallon in the same time frame. The EPA says the new rule will prevent 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere through the year 2050, and the agency says it’ll save drivers money on gas over the lifetime of the vehicle. But, some climate activists say it’s not enough, and some in the auto industry say it’s too much, too fast.
Read More: NY Times, NPR, WSJ, Reuters, EPA
Oracle Buys Cerner
One of the largest software providers is making its largest purchase ever. Oracle is buying Cerner for more than $28 billion. Cerner is a large electronic medical records company, so the deal will boost Oracle’s presence in health care. It comes just a few months after another software giant, Microsoft, made a similar purchase when it bought Nuance Communications. The Oracle-Cerner deal is expected to close next year, but American regulators will still have to give the okay before it’s official.
Read More: TechCrunch, CNBC, MarketWatch, Oracle
Musk Paying $11B+ in Taxes
The richest man in the world now wants people to know how big his tax bill is. Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted, saying he’ll pay more than $11 billion in taxes this year. He didn’t offer any other details, but it does come after a public spat last week with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who suggested he wasn’t paying his share. Musk doesn’t earn a cash salary and is instead paid through stock options. Those aren’t taxed until they’re used to buy shares. He’s also been selling billions of dollars worth of Tesla stock, which is where the big federal tax bill comes from.
Read More: WSJ, Reuters, CNN, USA Today, Elon Musk
Emmys Rule Changes
Rules are changing for this year’s Emmy Awards. The Television Academy announced some eligibility rules will be different. For example, until now, all hour-long shows were treated as dramas, and half-hour episodes were categorized as comedies. Going forward, show producers will figure out which category each show falls into, and the Academy panel can review it. The TV Academy also extended the “no double Oscar/Emmy dipping” rule, which keeps streamers from submitting some of their movies for the Emmys only if they missed out on an Oscar nod. The next Emmys are set for September 2022.
Read More: Deadline, Variety, THR, Emmys
Winter Solstice
Even though it may not feel like it where you are, winter is officially here. Today is the Winter Solstice, meaning it’s the first day of astronomical winter. It happens every year because the Earth spins on a tilted axis. So today, the northern hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, making it the shortest day of the year. The further north you go from the equator, the less sunlight you get. Northern Alaska will only see about 3 to 4 hours of sunlight today. Most of us will get between 8 and 9 hours.
Read More: USA Today, Fox News, Space.Com, Alaska.Org
Trivia Tuesday
Q: How much confetti is dropped in Times Square on New Year's Eve?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What is the largest land mammal alive today?
A: African Bush Elephant
Read More: National Zoo, Nature.Org, A-Z Animals