Kidnapped missionaries describe their escape, a new First Puppy, and more

Here’s what you need to know. [Apple News+] Good Morning From Apple News It’s Tuesday, December 21. Here’s what you need to know. Good Morning From Apple News It’s Tuesday, December 21. Here’s what you need to know. Good Morning From Apple News It’s Tuesday, December 21. Here’s what you need to know. Top Stories Top Stories Top Stories [The White House will announce new steps to combat rising COVID infections, including distributing 500 million free at-home tests. The CDC said the Omicron variant now accounts for 73 percent of new cases in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal [arrow][arrow]]( [Democrats vowed to vote on President Biden’s social-spending package early next year, despite opposition from Senator Joe Manchin. POLITICO [arrow][arrow]]( [The EPA finalized stricter emissions standards for cars and trucks: By 2026, new light-duty vehicles will be required to get at least 40 miles per gallon. CNN Politics [arrow][arrow]]( Best of Apple News+ Best of Apple News+ Best of Apple News+ [Article Image] [Apple News+] “I Escaped From the Trauma of Homelessness — Only to Battle Your Debilitating Projections” For one journalist, leaving the park bench for the last time was just the beginning of a painful process. Mother Jones [arrow][arrow]( Listen Now [What to know now that Omicron is dominant in the U.S., a millipede that actually lives up to the name, and more on today’s podcast. Apple News Today [arrow][arrow]]( Five Stories We’re Talking About [“Fully vaccinated” is about to mean something else. Here’s what to know. The Atlantic [arrow][arrow]]( [Missionaries who were kidnapped and held in Haiti for two months describe their escape. Miami Herald [arrow][arrow]]( [Apple News+] His wife was dying of brain cancer. His boss at Amazon gave him two options: Perform or quit. Mother Jones [arrow][arrow]( [In a hot housing market, you can buy a home with cash — even if you don’t have a lot of it. NPR [arrow][arrow]]( [The Bidens have an addition to their family: a new First Puppy. ABC News [arrow][arrow]]( The Last Word [“ I remember when I first saw it, I was like, ‘Hell, yeah, my name’s Brandon, let’s go’ … Until I found out.”]( [“Let’s go, Brandon” has become an anti-Biden chant among conservatives — and Brandons around the world aren’t happy about it. BuzzFeed News [arrow][arrow]]( [Like what you’re seeing here?]( [Follow @AppleNews on Instagram.]( [Try Apple News+ For Free]( [Try Apple News+ For Free]( [Apple News+] Some content requires specific hardware or software. Internet access required; data fees may apply. Content availability is subject to change. For more information, [click here](. Copyright © 2021 Apple Inc. One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, California 95014 USA [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( | [Support]( | [Account]( If you prefer not to receive this newsletter, you can [unsubscribe](. You’ll stop receiving all newsletters from the Apple News editors.