a 25% spike in cases. with new cases overall hitting nearly 200,000 on wednesday for the third consecutive day. some potentially positive news out of south africa where the omicron surge appears to be dropping off weeks after the variant was first reported. and three new studies showing omicron seems to be less severe than the powerful delta variant. the fda today also approving emergency use of merck's covid pill a day after giving the green light to pfizer's. the questions about the supply of the drugs and whether they could interact with other medications persists. and testing continues to be challenging across the u.s. manufacturers saying they are not able to keep up with the current demand for at-home test kits. people still lining the streets in cities like new york in an effort to get a free covid test before christmas. here in washington the january 6th committee now wants to question republican