1A

An estimated 53 million Americans returned from their holiday travel this weekend to news of a new variant of COVID-19.

The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and cases have since been reported in a growing number of countries including Germany, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.

Experts say it's only a matter of time before cases are reported in the U.S. President Joe Biden spoke yesterday about the new variant, telling Americans not to panic.

But even as we consider the immediate concerns over Omicron, scientists are pointing to a longer-term issue: a growing number of animals becoming infected with COVID-19. These spillover events where germs jump from humans to animals and back again can create new viral strains.

We discuss what this means for the state of the pandemic.

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On January 25, President Biden reversed the Trump administration's ban on transgender people serving in the military.But the door remains open for future administrations to reinstate it.

So what would it take to protect the ability for trans troops to serve openly?

We talk with active duty trans service members about life in the military — and what it would take to protect their right to serve.

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Last year, many families across the U.S. chose to stay home and go without their Thanksgiving and other holiday traditions to limit the spread of coronavirus. But for some, a minimal holiday season brought new traditions and menus, such as hosting a 'Friendsgiving' or celebrating solo.

What can you do to make the holiday season extra special this year – both on and off the table? And what are some easy, but delicious recipes for those who may be hosting for the first time?

Our panel of cooking and hosting experts answer those questions and more.

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When cities shut down at the start of the pandemic, streets were emptier. There was more speeding, more drinking and driving, and less seatbelt-wearing. Deaths and serious injuries spiked for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.

And it didn't stop once cities reopened. The first half of 2021 had the largest six-month jump in traffic fatalities on record. City leaders and advocates hope the infrastructure bill will help strengthen safety policies.

What's causing this spike in traffic deaths and what's being done to stop it?

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In July 2019, Rax King published an essay about Food Network Star Guy Fieri. The so-called mayor of Flavortown is known for his bleached hair, bowling shirts, and rhyming exclamations ("so much salami, call my mommy").

King wrote about how Fieri's unadulterated tackiness was the perfect balm to help her move on from her ex-husband — a preppy, uptight, anti-Guy kind of guy.

That essay went viral. King's followed it with her new book, a collection of essays that extol the benefits of what the subtitle calls "the worst culture we have to offer." These supposedly include things like "The Jersey Shore," The Cheesecake Factory, and the band Creed. King argues that guilty pleasures shouldn't make us feel guilty at all, but are where we find the most joy. They help us connect with each other, without surroundings that demand we play it cool.

We talk about King's book and what guilty pleasures are all about.

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Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted of all charges in a criminal trial that's underscored deep divides over gun rights, vigilantism, and racial justice protests.

And throughout the trial, Judge Bruce Schroeder has garnered a lot of attention.

The trial has raised tough questions about judges — who gets to be one, how they're assigned cases, how they're appointed, and how they're removed.

A former judge and a legal expert answer your questions.

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The 12 jurors charged with deciding the verdict in the case of Kyle Rittenhouse began deliberations Tuesday morning.

Eighty percent of Americans 12 and over have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, some 62 million Americans remain completely unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka have added their voices to a chorus of concern over the fate of fellow player Peng Shuai, who's now missing after accusing China's former vice-premier of sexual assault.

A missile test conducted by Russia destroyed a satellite and created a cloud of space debris, forcing astronauts in the International Space Station to take shelter.

We cover all this and more during the News Roundup.

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Between Adele's new album"30," Taylor Swift's re-release of "Red," and a new song from Mitski, it's been quite a month for so-called "sad girl" music – a category of female artists whose searing, poetic lyrics about breakups and heartache accompany us through our days.

Even before November, this year has been dominated by a bevy of sad girls – from Olivia Rodrigo to Julien Baker, and from Phoebe Bridgers to Billie Eilish.

But what really is sad girl music? Is it anything new? And what makes it so resonant right now?

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Jury deliberations are underway in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. The 17-year-old is charged with homicide following the shooting deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum. The shooting occurred during the Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer.

Meanwhile, in Brunswick, Georgia, the trial of Greg and Travis McMichael for the shooting death of Ahmad Arbery is now going ongoing. The men are charged with homicide after shooting Arbery while he was on a run last February. The defense claimed Arbery was a burglar and they were defending property.

Both cases are predicated on the argument of self-defense. Will the jurors find that the McMichaels and Rittenhouse were justified in their actions?

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The pandemic exposed many gaps in modern society, but few people are more familiar with those gaps than those experiencing homelessness. That's especially true in Washington D.C., where the number of chronically unhoused people increased by more than 20 percent last year. That's also meant an increase in encampments across the city.

This year, the district launched a pilot program to clear encampments and put people into housing.

We also look at what's happening in Los Angeles, where homelessness is a top concern. The city passed a ban on camping and is set to clear at least 70 spots with hundreds more possibly on the horizon.

From D.C. to L.A., how are cities responding to encampments and what are the best solutions?

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