It's Day 9 of the MLB Lockout 🥎🔒.

On #TheUpdate this Friday, there's a late new development regarding COVID-19 restrictions in the State of New York. Facing a winter surge in infections, Governor Hochul says that masks will be required in all indoor public places unless the business or venue implements a vaccine requirement. It'll be in effect from December 13th to January 15th, after which the state will reevaluate. This comes as 32 upstate hospitals have suspended non-essential elective surgeries under an emergency order from Hochul. Back in late October, Attorney General Letitia James announced that she was running for governor. Now, she's suspended her campaign, saying instead that she'll run for re-election in her current position. She said in a statement that she needs to continue her work as AG, citing "a number of important investigations and cases" underway.

And this winter, motorists may find themselves stuck on snowy highways or have their travel delayed due to a shortage of snowplow driver's. States from Washington to Pennsylvania, and even some in the Rocky Mountains are having trouble finding enough people willing to take the comparatively low-paying jobs that require a Commerical Driver's Licence, and often entail works at odd hours in the most dangerous of conditions. ❄️🚒

It's Day 8 of the MLB Lockout 🥎🔒.

On #TheUpdate this Thursday, work has begun in giving some of America's most spectacular natural settings and historic icons a makeover. The Department of the Interior says that $1.6 billion a year for the next five years from The Great American Outdoor Act will go toward critical projects in national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other areas. In Midtown, police say that a mad is facing charges including arson for setting fire to a 50-foot Christmas tree in front of Fox News headquarters. The artificial tree outside the News Corp. building that houses not only Fox News, but also The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post caught fire shortly after midnight Wednesday. And there's a true burning question on the minds of many: how will the world decide when the pandemic is over? There's no clear cut definition for when a pandemic starts an ends, and how much of a threat a global outbreak is posing can vary by country, but it may be considered over when the World Health Organization decides COVID-19 is no longer an emergency of international concern, a designation its experts have been reassessing. 😷🤔

It's Day 7 of the MLB Lockout. 🥎🔒

On #TheUpdate this Wednesday, at the trial of Ghislane Maxwell, one of her accusers says the British socialite once felt her naked 14-year-old body before telling her it would be a "great body" for financier Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. She became the third woman to testify at the trial about the abuse the accusers said they endured at the hands of Epstein. On Long Island, a man is accused of sending violent, threatening letters to LGBTQ groups for several years. 74-year-old Robert Fehring of Bayport is accused in a federal criminal complaint of sending the letters as far back as 2013 and as recently as this June, and a seat h of his house found loaded weapons and ammunition, as well as 20 rainbow flags.

And it's east to go overboard on gifts for your kids for the holidays, but the result could be a drained bank account and an overstuffed toy bin come January. Money and child development experts point out that setting a holiday spending budget keeps your finances in check, and could help avoid an overwhelmed child. 🎁💳🎄👨‍👩‍👦

From New York, the greatest city in the world, it's The Update with Brandon Julien!

It's day 6 of the MLB Lockout. ⚾🔒 On #TheUpdate this Tuesday, New York City has long been a beacon for immigrants, and noncitizens are about to win an important civic duty thanks to the New York City Council: the right to vote. They're poised to push legislation that would allow some 800,000 noncitizens to help pick mayors, borough presidents and city council members.

Mayor De Blasio is trying to prevent a winter COVID strike. He says that all private employers in the city will have to require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 27th. Anyone 12+ who wants to dine indoors, go to a gym, or see a show will have to produce proof of two doses of the vaccine. Children 5-11 will have to show proof of one shot.

And the list of 2021's most mispronounced words is out, and they're a mouthful. The U.S Captioning Company, which captions and subtitles real-time events on TV and in courtrooms, compiled the list, highlighting the names and terms that were most challenging for newsreaders and people on TV to pronounce. 📺⚖️

From New York, the greatest city in the world, it's The Update with Brandon Julien!

It's day 5 of the MLB Lockout. 🥎🔒

On #TheUpdate this Monday, the omicron varient may not be as dangerous as we first thought. U.S health officials are saying that while it is spreading across the country, the early indications suggest that it may be less dangerous than the Delta varient, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. Leaders of New York's public college system are standing behind SUNY chancellor James Malatras. He's facing calls to resign after the release of text messages showing that he mocked one of the women who later accused former Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. And we're remembering an American icon in former senator Bob Dole. He died over the weekend at the age of 98. In over 36 years in Washington, he became one if the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, combining a talent for compromise with a caustic wit, which he often turned on himself but didn't hesitate to turn on others, too. 🇺🇲

From New York, the greatest city in the world, it's The Update with Brandon Julien!

From New York, the greatest city in the world, it's The Update with Brandon Julien!

It's day 2 of the MLB lockout.

On #TheUpdate this Friday, the omicron varient of COVID-19 is here in the New York City area- now what? It's infected at least five people, including a man from Minnesota who attended the Anime NYC convention at the Javits Center in Manhattan in late November, where 53,000 people attended. Meanwhile, Mayor De Blasio is extending his order requiring COVID-19 vaccines to include teachers and staff at private and religious schools. NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea and his First Deputy Commissioner Ben Tucker have put their retirement papers in order in the weeks before mayor-elect Eric Adams takes office. Their last days are December 31st.

And in Oregon, officials are asking for help looking for the person or people responsible for poisoning an entire wolf pack in the eastern part of the state earlier this year. The Oregon State Police said it's been investigating the killing of all five members of the Catherine Pack in Union County, plus three other wolves from other packs. 🐺