Omicron takes over; Send a Hallmark video to loved ones; the U.S. welcomes its first Somali-American mayor

Plus, Chuck Schumer says the Senate will still vote on the Build Back Better plan [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen First up Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Here's what we're following today: Omicron is now the dominant variant of the coronavirus in the U.S. The new variant comes at a time when ICUs and [emergency rooms are already full]( and staffs are spread thin. ➡️ Biden is expected to announce that the government is buying half a billion at-home COVID test kits to mail to people who want them, as well as [sending support to hospitals]( to prepare for the highly contagious variant. Jury deliberations will begin in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial. In closing remarks, prosecutors portrayed her as [a dangerous and sophisticated predator]( who recruited and groomed teenage girls to be sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein. The defense called her an innocent woman. The Senate will still vote on Biden's Build Back Better plan in the new year, despite Sen. Joe Manchin announcing earlier this week that he would vote no. Without his support, [the measure is doomed to failure]( because of the united opposition from every Republican in the evenly divided chamber. Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai insisted in an interview that her sexual assault allegations against a former top Communist Party official were a misunderstanding. The original accusation and her [subsequent disappearance]( for weeks has raised concerns in the tennis community. Millions have signed a petition calling for a reduced sentence for the truck driver behind a 28-car pileup in Colorado in 2019 that killed four. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 years. The judge said [he didn't think Aguilera-Mederos deserved life in prison]( but Colorado does not allow for sentences to be served concurrently. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s listen Tribute Hallmark is embracing the digital age: You can now send loved ones video greeting cards from the company. It's the biggest brand to start selling video greetings, but not the first. [Listen to this story]( or [read it here.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go Robert F. Bukaty/AP - Deqa Dhalac fled Somalia 30 years ago due to civil war. Now, she's [the first Somali-American mayor in the U.S](. after being elected in South Portland, Maine - Sex and the City star Chris Noth has been dropped from CBS' The Equalizer following [sexual assault allegations]( from three women. - Scientists in England have discovered a terrifying, record-breaking fossil of [a millipede the size of a car.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]