cnn has learned the president will announce the purchase of half a billion at-home rapid tests and a new plan to distribute them free to americans who request them. >> this as 73% of cases in the u.s. are now the highly contagious omicron variant, outpacing delta as the dominant strain. that's up sixfold in just a week. now, so far it appears most cases of omicron are relatively mild but it's so contagious it is crippling already overwhelmed hospitals. >> the resurgence has the nhl on ice. the entire season will be put on hold starting tomorrow till at least after christmas. let's bring in jasmine wright in washington. the -- there is covid exhaustion, now there is this. the vaccine is unreachable. what is the white house plan here? >> reporter: well, christine, a major part of the plan is making those 500 million tests free and available to americans. now, this kind of is a reversal from the white house who made light really of sending free tests to americans when asked why they don't do it in countries in europe and in asia. there is a viral video of people lined up in the street waiting for their test. the testing part is a major part, another part of the plan they are announcing today, they will make really or prepare to make available a thousand service members, military doctors and nurses to kind of alleviate overburdened hospital systems around the country in january and february. officials tell cnn they hope to not have to use all 1,000 of them, but they are available to the country. and, of course, another part of the plan there going to increase, once again, access to vaccinations, opening up more vaccination sites, trying to get more americans to get their shot in their arms. and now something that we can expect from the president today, christine and laura, is going to be really a dire warning from him to the unvaccinated in the country. he is going to emphasize, officials say, the difference that wintertime they could have between not being unvaccinated and, of course, those who are unvaccinated. really setting kind of a dichotomy. it's a similar message we heard from dr. anthony fauci just this week. take a listen here. >> it has nothing to do with freedom. it has to do with protecting yourself and your family from a potentially deadly disease that has killed already over 800,000 americans. but also relinquishing your societal responsibility to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. and when someone says, i'm taking my own chances, it is my body, i'll worry about it, nobody should tell me that i need to get vaccinated or that i should wear a mask in an indoor setting, well, that might be fine for you because you have confidence that you're not going to get seriously ill, which, quite frankly, hospitals are full of people who made that mistake. and so are graveyards full of people that have made that mistake. >> reporter: wow, graveyards full of people. that's some seriously strong language from dr. fauci. we can expect president biden to say something similar as really his administration goes into the next year still dealing with this pandemic, something both he and officials hoped to have dealt with really and to have gotten under control in the first year in office. laura, christine? >> it's hard to know what else he can say. what more this president can do to persuade you. he understandably will try. jasmin, we learned overnight he had close contact with a mid level staffer who has tested positive for covid. what more can you tell us about that? >> reporter: yeah, laura, the white house says the president tested negative yesterday via a pcr test, and he will test again on wednesday. now, they will not quarantine him based on cdc guidelines, but, look, they say he was on a flight on air force one to south carolina with the staffer for approximately 30 minutes. the staffer tested negative on friday, started experiencing symptoms on sunday, and tested positive on monday. so, of course, we will be watching and asking the white house what the results of that wednesday test. right now they say the president will not quarantine and they will continue to test him and hope, of course, that he tests negative. laura, christine? >> so nice to see you this morning. thank you. now, the fast-spreading omicron as the dominant variant expected to see changes nationwide in d.c. the indoor mask mandate is back in effect today. in boston the city plans to phase in a vaccine requirement indoors starting january 125th. that mandate will apply to both customers and employees. >> first, indoor dining, including bars and restaurants. secondly, indoor fitness venues such as gyms. and third, indoor entertainment, recreational and event venues such as theater shows or sports games. >> meantime, the military is deploying two teams to indiana and wisconsin to help civilian hospitals with covid relief. and new york mayor bill de blasio has asked the biden administration to invoke the defense production act to get supplies into new york city, including more at-home tests. new york has seen a dramatic increase in cases, but importantly here, christine, not hospitalization rates, at least not so far. >> all right. after a tough year for employers, the spread of omicron has companies rethinking their return to work plans for next year. experts estimate 60% of companies will offer employees a hybrid schedule, working more than one day a week remotely. 10% will remain fully remote and 30% will want everyone back in the office. hybrid schedules pose a challenge for employers. managers need to ensure promotions and opportunities are fair, distributed fairly. evaluation are based on performance, not office face time. if employers can't offer remote work options, they'll need to offer schedule flexibility in other ways. many workers can expect a raise next year. one reason survey shows base pay average 3.9% in 2022, the largest one-year projected hike in 2020. people who are job hoppers, leaving their current job for a better job are seeing pay raises more like 5 or 6%. >> it's hard for employers to plan. many had plans to return to the office. so many were hoping to do that. but with all these new variants, how do you plan? >> look at us. we're in the office, but we are in different rooms, laura. we're not together. >> that's the reality here. all right. still ahead for you, democrats are going hard after senator joe manchin. they still need his vote as the party tries to find a way forward to revive parts of the bh build back better bill. ♪ things you start when you're 45. coaching. new workouts. and screening for colon cancer. yep. the american cancer society recommends screening starting at age 45, instead of 50, since colon cancer is increasing in younger adults. i'm cologuard®. i'm convenient and find 92% of colon cancers... ...even in early stages. i'm for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. (burke) this is why you want farmers claim forgiveness... [echoing] claim forgiveness-ness, your home premium won't go up just because of this. (woman) wow, that's something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. [echoing] get a quote today. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ it's the last minute gift sale. get up to 40% off storewide. ( ♪ ) this is how we shine. at zales. the diamond store. at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner with access to financial advice, tools and a personalized plan that helps you build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us a recipe for absolute destruction, that's how one house democrat describes all the internal finger pointing among democrats. democrats are scrambling to avoid blowback from voters after senator joe manchin torpedoed president biden's economic agenda. >> they are furious as to why their yes votes will be for nothing. now democrats in tough midterm races are calling on manchin to return to the negotiating table. some want party leaders to help pass individual pieces of the $1.75 trillion proposal. >> the overwhelming majority of the american people support build back better and we're not going to sit around and wait for one man to decide on one day that he's with us and on the other day that he's not. and that's why at the same time we work on legislation the president needs to take urgent executive action on a number of things. >> cnn has learned that manchin's offer to president biden included universal pre-k and obamacare expansion. but get this. no extension of the expanded child tax credit, that popular program that would help pull children out of poverty including kids in manchin's home state of west virginia. but the senator is sticking by his decision. cnn's jessica dean reports now from capitol hill. >> reporter: christine and laura, we now know that senator joe manchin spoke with president joe biden on sunday after manchin had announced he would be a no on build back better in its current form. we are told that it was a cordial conversation, but no commitments were made. simply that they could discuss re-engaging on these issues in the new year. but again, no commitments made, no specific commitments made is what our sources are telling cnn. earlier on monday, we did hear from manchin from more detail about how he arrived at his decision to not support build back better as it currently exists, and he really put a lot of the blame on white house staff. take a listen. >> it's staff driven. i understand staff. it's not the president, it's the staff. they drove some things, it's in excusable. they know what it is, and that's it. what i'm saying is this. i'm not blaming anybody. i knew what they were, i knew what they could and could not do. they figured, surely we could move one person. surely we can badger and beat one person up. surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough. i'll vote for anything, and quit. guess what, i'm from west virginia. i'm not from where they're from and they can beat the living crap out of people and think they'll be schmus ubmissive per. >> reporter: he doesn't agree to build back better as it currently stands. he wants to send different provisions in the bill back through the committee system instead of going forward with this democrats-only bill where they would need all 50 senators to get on board. instead, wants this to go through the committee system. that would take a fair amount of time to do that and needs bipartisan support. remember, they need 60 votes to do anything bipartisan in the senate. keep in mind we're now going into 2022, an election year where republicans won't be rushing to give democrats any big wins. so the question remains how do they move forward? progressives have called on president biden to use executive action to take action on some of these issues. but it remains to be seen how that will happen and what will happen moving forward. we do know that senate majority leader chuck schumer has promised a vote on build back better when the senate comes back after its holiday recess. he wants senator manchin to have to vote that down on the floor and in public, so we do anticipate seeing that once they return from their holiday break. christine and laura? >> all right, jessica dean, thank you so much for that. the democratic party's internal drama taking a toll. 22 incumbents not running to keep their seats. the mood gets darker every time a member says they are not running for reelection in 2022. lucille of california won't run for another term after 30 years in the house. >> that was hours after florida moderate stephanie murray, a rising star in the party, also said she isn't running again. >> like any good journey, it is time for me to take another path. these last few years have been some of the most rewarding moments of my life, but also some of the most challenging. >> murphy serves on the january 6 committee. florida republicans have targeted her seat in the redistricting process. all these retirements could add more pressure on democrats as they try to hold onto their razor-thin majority next november. just 11 house republicans announced they are not seeking another term. the january 6 committee seeking to talk to its first lawmaker. scott perry of pennsylvania was asked to sit down for an interview. the committee is not yet issuing a subpoena for perry's testimony but requesting his cooperation. the committee says it wants to discuss perry's unsuccessful efforts to install former justice department official jeffrey clark as acting attorney general. clark was trying to sell former president trump on the idea of the justice department pursuing unfounded claims of voter fraud. so, donald trump's long list of legal issues, of course, predates the capitol riot and his presidency. one of the biggest investigations he currently faces is in new york over his business practices. now he and his company are suing the state's attorney general. cnn's paula reid has the story. >> reporter: good morning, laura and christine. well, this lawsuit is asking a federal court to block letitia james' long running investigation into the trump organization. roughly two years her office has been conducting a civil investigation into the trump organization, looking at whether it lied about the value of its assets to obtain more favorable loan terms, better insurance rates, and to pay lower taxes. now, her investigation mirrors a similar investigation being conducted by the manhattan district attorney's office. that, though, is a criminal investigation and has already resulted in criminal charges against the organization and one of its executives. now, what's interesting about the timing of trump's lawsuit is it comes as james is seeking to depose the former president under oath next month. now, trump and his attorneys have long argued that james is politically motivated, but this this lawsuit they get more specific. they argue that james has violated trump's constitutional rights, and that she has abused her office to further her political career. now, in a statement, james has responded to these allegations saying, quote, to be clear, neither mr. trump nor the trump organization gets to dictate if and where they will answer for their actions. our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law, not even someone with the trump name. now, legal experts say this lawsuit is unlikely to succeed or deter the investigation, but james' statements about the former president, her campaign promise to target him, those could all come back to haunt her. those could potentially be used to challenge any lawsuit or charges she may file against the former president. laura, christine? >> paula, thank you so much for that. a washington state man sentenced monday to nearly four years in prison for assaulting a police officer during that capitol riot. develin thompson pleaded guilty earlier this year. he spent almost three hours on the grounds of the u.s. capitol on january 6. he is the second rioter to be sentenced for the felony charge of assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. coming up, actor chris noth losing another job following the sexual assault allegations against him. now the stars of "sex in the city" are speaking out. what they have to say about their long-time co-star. season's greetings from audi. nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like: try hypnosis... or... quit cold turkey. kidding me?! instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org. firefighter maggie gronewald knows how to handle dry weather... ...and dry, cracked skin. new gold bond advanced healing ointment. restore healthy skin, with no sticky feeling. gold bond. champion your skin. it's the most joyous time of year. especially at t-mobile! let's go to dianne. i got the awesome new iphone 13 pro and airpods, and t-mobile is paying for them both! and this is for new and existing customers. upgrade to the iphone 13 pro and airpods both on us. only at t-mobile. when love finds us, this is how we shine. ( ♪ ) you found the one. now find the ring at zales, the diamond store. want to save on your home internet? xfinity is proud to support the emergency broadband benefit program. for a limited time, you may be eligible to qualify for a credit of up to $50 a month toward your internet service through this program. that's right! you could qualify for a credit of up to $50 a month toward your internet service and equipment. for even more value, switch to xfinity mobile, and you could pay as little as $15 a month for wireless. click, call, or visit a store to learn more. all right. it is looking like we'll get a happy holiday forecast that won't disrupt too much of the country. but on the west coast, a huge shot of rain and snow could finally put a dent in a long record-breaking drought there. here's meteorologist tyler malden. >> christine and laura, 8 feet of snow is possible for portions of the sierra nevada next week. that is why we have weather alerts for this region. a cold front is moving ashore. what this is going to do is force the winds to come on shore. this will cause an atmospheric river to set up, yet another atmospheric river, which is a large swath of moisture coming in off the pacific. and what happens once that crashes against the west coast, it produces a lot of rainfall and a lot of snowfall, too. so across the coast line of the west coast, we could see anywhere around 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but then once you start getting up into the higher elevation, yeah, you could see 8 feet of snow across the sierra nevada. feet of snow for the pacific northwest. the northern rockies and rockies as well. they are under a drought. the increase of the snow pack and the rainfall we will be receiving in the days to come is much needed. guys? >> tyler, thank you. staying out west here, a strong earthquake off the coast of northern california rattling a wide portion of the state, knocking groceries off shelves you can see there, shattering store windows near the epicenter. the 6.2 magnitude quake hit just after noon local time and was felt as far away as san francisco. they say no injuries or major damage was reported, though. all right. friends, collaborators, legends, carole king and james taylor in an unforgettable concert film, "just call out my name" sunday january 2nd, 9:00 p.m. only on cnn. ♪ this is how we shine. ♪ find the perfect gift at zales. the diamond store. lisa here, has had many jobs. and all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. with home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults. apply today. welcome back. a christian aid group says it paid a ransom to the armed gang that kidnapped its missionaries in haiti. the group also claims the last 12 hostages made a daring escape. journalist stefano has the details. >> reporter: christine, christian aid ministries admitted a ransom was indeed paid to help secure the release of the 17 missionaries that were kidnapped more than two months ago in haiti. that is according to a news conference that the group, which is based in ohio, gave on monday. the group said the decision came after excruciating hours. >> as you might expect, the taking of our workers including women and children, pushed us to our knees as we sought god's direction. recognizing the lives at stake and having the desire for a non-violent resolution, we grappled for many hours over the proper course of action, many intense hours. >> reporter: at that news conference, the group also claimed the hostages had escaped after many days of waiting and no actions on part of the kidnappers. haitian authorities have not yet confirmed that series of events describing an escape, and cnn had asked haitian authorities for further information regarding the circumstances around the hostages returning home. ransom kidnapping is a lucrative business for criminal groups in haiti, like the one that kidnapped the missionaries. more than 900 kidnappings have been reported in the country in the year so far, although experts believe the number could be much higher because not all the kidnappings are reported to the authorities. christine, laura? >> stefano, thank you. "early start" continues right now. good tuesday morning, everyone. this is "early start." i'm laura jarrett. >> and i'm christine romans. it is exactly 30 minutes past the hour. time for our top stories to keep an eye on today. bring on the test. president biden will announce the purchase of a half billion at-home rapid covid-19 tests and the plan to distribute them free to americans who want them. the omicron variant is now the dominant strain in the u.s. more on all this in just a moment. it was precisely the thing she had been warned about for years, and she was trained to prevent it. >> this lady here made a mistake and, my gosh, a mistake is not a crime. >> day two of jury deliberations in the manslaughter trial of ex-minnesota police officer kim potter. potter mistook her firearm for a taser and fatally shot daunte wright in a traffic stop back in april. ghislaine maxwell's fate now in the hands of a jury. the sex trafficking trial will resume this morning with deliberations after deliberating for less than an hour on monday. maxwell faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted. the pentagon updating policies to address a troubling rise of extremism in the military ranks. new rules will hold service members accountable for views they express on social media. a number of military personnel and veterans were among those who attacked the u.s. capitol in january. the biden administration announcing tougher fuel standards for cars and light trucks. it's all aimed at reducing carbon emissions. the new epa rules will require vehicles to travel an average of 55 miles per gallon of gas by 2026. and spacex has launched another re-supply mission to the space station. the dragon spacecraft a blasted off from kennedy space center a short time ago. spacex has completed a record 31 flights of its flagship rocket in 2021. turning back now to the breaking news this morning, covid tests to your front door. finally, president biden set to announce half a billion free covid tests shipped to americans to americans who want them. testing is something that has vexed the covid response from day one. lines to get a lab test in many places stretching for hours. still an at-home test flying off store shelves. remember finding clorox wipes in stores in 2020? me either. despite the press secretary having said this earlier this month. >> why not just make them free and give them out and have them available everywhere? >> should we just send one to over american? >> may be. >> what happens if every american has one test, how much does that cost and what happens after that me? >> all i know is other countries seem to be making them available in greater quantities for less money. >> i think we share the same objective, which is to make them less expensive and more accessible, right? every country is going to do that differently. >> so that was two weeks ago. from that remark, flip remark to reality, in just a couple weeks scenes like this are playing out everywhere. in mess a, -- mesa, arizona, covid-19 tests are flying out the door. >> i think it's a great idea. additional peace of mind even though we're all vaccinated and boostered. >> i'm actually spending the holidays with my family. i've got older uncle and my father and so we just want to take some precautions and just make sure that we're all good. >> wow, he's speaking for just about everybody i know right now. look, the fact is covid is resurging nationwide. one factor, the rapid spread of the omicron variant. it now accounts for 73% of u.s. cases making it by far the dominant strain. >> one marker of how things have changed seemingly overnight, the nhl has suspended all play until at least after christmas. cnn's jasmine wright joins us again from washington. the president addresses the nation this afternoon. we know there will be a new website. what else do we expect to hear? >> reporter: yeah, look, well, that 500 million tests available to americans who want them is part of the president's big-time winter plan he will announce at the white house. americans will be able to go online and request a test to be sent to them. now, another major part of his plan is going to be preparing 1,000 military service members to go alleviate overburdened hospital systems in january and february. officials tell cnn they hope to not have to use all 1,000, those will be military doctors and nurses and other medical personnel. but they will be available in case of these potentially looming surges. of course, another part of that is going to be increasing vaccinations as you see on the screen right now. increasing vaccination sites and access, trying to make sure that more americans are getting their shots, trying to prepare them for potential surge. now, white house press secretary jen psaki yesterday, she previewed the president's speech to reporters, talking about all of the areas that he is going to hit. take a listen. >> this is not a speech about locking the country down. this is a speech outlining and being direct and clear with the american people about the benefits of being vaccinated, the steps we are going to take to increase access and to increase testing, and the risks posed to unvaccinated individuals. that is not trying to scare people, or maybe it is trying to make clear to people in the country what the risks are here of not being vaccinated. what is clear is we are not in the same place we were in. to be clear, covid-19 is not the same threat to fully vaccinated individuals that it was in march of 2020. >> reporter: so that first part psaki said this is not about shutdowns, the white house says they are not going to shut the country down. but it is true that president biden is responding to a different point of the pandemic. obviously officials had hoped that they would have more control over the pandemic a year into his presidency, but things are starting to increase as these new variants circulate. so the president is responding to that increase of cases in the nation that is really anxious about where this pandemic is going because of those increase of cases. laura, christine? >> jasmine, nice to see you. big day ahead. let's discuss it with ddr. chris pernell back with us. a white house where you can request them, is this finally moving in the right direction on testing? >> well, it's not in the right direction, but it can't be a one and done. what i mean by that is i still don't know, nor does the public know, how many tests will be sent to households who want them, and how soon. we know in january that those tests will be made available, but omicron will continue to surge. it went from 13% of new cases to 73% of new cases as of the 18th of december. so we don't know where we will be when those tests are made available. and outside of being sent to homes, those tests need to be in schools. those tests need to be in pharmacies, those tests need to be in grocery stores, an all-test mass approach. >> is it time to reframe how we talk about the variant? omicron is in the united states, it's contagious. we all know someone who has it. there is going to be another variant and another one. is it time to get away from focusing on individual cases and focus on severe illnesses and death which can be prevented by vaccines? >> i don't think that's the right posture for us to take. i know someone younger than 40 in florida who lost his life to covid, a very young life snuffed out by this disease. i think what people need to understand is that there are things and there are approaches we can do to protect ourselves. and when you do those things, you are less likely to have the worst outcome. but we still don't know about long covid, meaning if you get even an asymptomatic or mild infection, how long covid might potentially affect your life. >> pretty clear it is imperative here, doctor, right, to get a booster if you haven't already. the former president donald trump got his booster. listen to the reaction of some of his supporters. >> both the president and i are vaccined. did you get the booster? >> yes. >> i got it too. >> don't, don't, don't, don't -- that's all right. it's a tiny group over there. >> a tiny group over there. people booing the president -- former president getting a booster. can president biden today breakthrough to that smattering of anti-science americans, even president trump who they love can't? >> you know, in order to win people back over to science, and that's how i see it and say it, we're going to have to be clear and transparent. the white house is too often stumbled and our public health response has seemed scattered. we need to reach people deep in the places where, because of politicization, people don't think covid is real or they don't think vaccines are appropriate. we only do that by speaking in plain spoken terms, using folks whom they trust. and unfortunately trump right now is not necessarily trusted on that subject because he's so poisoned the well. >> doctor, winter break is basically here for so many kids who are either home already or heading home for the holidays. what's the single-best way to make sure they get back to school safely in january, especially with rapid tests so scarce, at least right now? most places are taking days to turn around pcr tests. >> make sure your child is vaccinated. if you have a child that i's 5 d above, make sure they are vaccinated prior to going to school. that's the first ask foremost thing parents can do. you have that power at your disposal. in addition to making sure your child is vaccinated, make sure your child has access to quality masks and make sure the plan has a plan around clean and filtering air. those are the steps that we can all take collectively to ensure that our children are in safe spaces while they are getting educated. and i hope we really make a priority of that. >> you know, it's so fasci fascinating. laura and i talk about the risks we do to alter behavior to keep family and friends safe. the w.h.o. director-general had a very stark kind of analysis of how to do the risk analysis for holiday gatherings. listen. >> an event canceled is better than a life canceled. it's better to cancel now and celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later. >> that's just a heartbreaking kind of analysis, especially when we know the airports are going to be full, and people have covid exhaustion. they want to gather. what is your advice for families who are gathering for the holidays? >> if you're not vaccinated and boosted, i don't think you should mix with other family members outside of your household. i think that's just where our bottom line has to be so that we can enjoy our families when things are safer. if you are vaccinated and boosted, please do enjoy your family, but continue to take precautions. if you're traveling, make sure you're masked. if you're indoors and there are a lot of family members, make sure you crack some windows, open some doors, use testing to ensure that no one has an asymptomatic infection or -- infection. we can enjoy one another. we have to do it in good sense. >> dr. pernell, always nice to have you with us. >> thanks, doctor. the omicron variant along with the build back better plan raise red flags. moody's tells cnn the risk to the economic recovery next year are not inconsequential, and, excuse me, rising. moody's will downgrade its economic forecast the next few days owing to the one-two punch of the covid surge. and senator manchin's opposition to the president's economic bill. zandi says it could be cut by as much as a percentage point. goldman sachs already did that for the next three quarters. we'll be right back. (woman) wow, that's something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. [echoing] get a quote today. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us age before beauty? why not both? visibly diminish wrinkled skin in... crepe corrector lotion... only from gold bond. at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner with access to financial advice, tools and a personalized plan that helps you build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. because you're forever connected by love... two touching center diamonds, representing the connection you share. forever connected. the perfect gift to give this holiday. exclusively at kay. xfinity rewards are our way of thanking you just for being with us. enjoy rewards like sing family fun nights! rent sing for $1, then belt out all your favorite tunes from the movie with sing karaoke. plus, see sing 2 in theaters with buy-one-get-one free fandango tickets. join over a million members by signing up for free on the xfinity app. our thanks. your rewards. welcome back. before the omicron variant took off here in the u.s., it spread quickly across europe. different countries are taking different approaches to keep people safe. cnn's fred pleitgen is live for us in berlin. fred, what are leaders in germany and other nations doing to combat the rise in infections? have they figured out testing better than we have? >> reporter: well, testing certainly is one of the things, laura, that here in germany is actually working quite well. you can get free tests in a lot of places. there are little huts that have sprung up in many placed where you can get a quick antigen test very quickly. in a lot of places like schools, they actually test three times a week. so that is certainly a large part of the strategy trying to combat not just the omicron variant, but, of course, the omicron variant was hitting as the delta variant was as well. there is fear about what the omicron variant could do and how fast it could spread. of course the people here and politicians here have seen what's happening in the united kingdom. they've seen what's happened in denmark where the omicron variant is spreading quickly. . varying approaches. the dutch issued a national lockdown which is a tough one. where nonessential shops are closed as well as restaurants, and then also bars as well. that's something that, of course, impacts christmas a great deal. the germans want to not impact christmas, but they are going to have a big impact on new year's eve. in fact, just a couple hours now, the new chancellor of germany olaf scholz is going to meet with state leaders here and they are going to put in place, they've already said, new tough r restrictions that are going to take hold the 28th of december, new year's eve. they are going to impact unvaccinated people, but also vaccinated people as well. that's how big the concern is about the omicron variant that they don't want people to be in larger gatherings when new year's eve comes around. you know, one the other things germany is doing which shows how concerned they are is they are ordering emergency medical personnel and institutions to really see whether or not they have emergency contingency plans in place in case large parts of the work force come down and get infected with the omicron variant just to make sure that the health care system, for instance, could continue to function if that were the case. the germans are saying they believe that the omicron variant is probably going to hit here in full force in the middle of january. they say they understand it's something they can't stop, but they want to be prepared, laura. >> all right. that's the hope. fred, thanks so much. all right, propaganda terror a -- proctor & gamble is reca recalling pantene and herbal essences. for a full list go to cnn.com. >> want to check that list. get this, actor chris noth losing another job in the wake of sexual allegations. cbs fired him immediately. three of his sex and the city co-stars weighed in. >> kristen davis posted a joint statement to their social media accounts. this is what it says. we support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. we know it must be a very difficult thing for them to do, and we commend them for it. two women have accused noth of sexual assault. he denies those allegations. noth was also dropped by his talent agency and peloton pulled its ad featuring him. comedian and late-night host trevor noah is suing his doctor and the new york hospital for special surgery claiming they botched an undisclosed operation last year in the complaint noah alleges that he sustained permanent severe and grieveous injuries as a result of this the hospital says the claims are meritless. the nature of noah's surgery is not disclosed in the complaint. let's get a check of cnn business, a look at markets around the world. europe has opened on the up side. stock index futures are poised for a bounce at the opening bell. stocks started the week lower, covid cases raised new fears about restriction that's could hurt the economy. all three major averages fell 3% monday. the context here, we love to give the context. it's almost the end of the year and the s&p 500 is still up 21% so far this year. so not a surprise to see investors take some off the table. u.s. oil prices also fell monday, down almost 4%. settling just above 68 bucks. the barrel a global slow down could dent demand for fuel. and that, of course, would be good for your gas prices. also not helping sentiment, senator joe manchin sinking president biden's $1.75 trillion spending bill. that caused goldman sachs to cut its growth forecast next year. when industry that felt the pain was electric vehicles. stocks like lordstown motors, farah day future and nick a la dropped. tesla and general motors fell. both companies no longer qualify for federal electric vehicle tax credits, but would have under build back better. president biden has said he wants half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to be electric. announcing it is going to pause its season through christmas due to the surge in covid cases right now. andy scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report. hey, andy. >> they were going to play two games tonight. after that the league is shutting down due to the rise in cases. daily covid testing for players will resume then. nine nhl teams already had this their seasons put on pause before this announcement. the league shutdown travel to and from canada through christmas. games are scheduled to resume on monday. there have now been 49 games postponed in the league this season. the nfl, meanwhile, adding 51 players to the reserve covid-19 list yesterday. it's the highest single-day total since the pandemic began. among the big names on the list are chiefs tight end travis kelsey and chargers joey bosa. this comes as the nfl moved away from weekly testing of vaccinated players. the league says they will only test vaccinated individuals showing symptoms and random groups each week. since the start of last week, 213 players have reportedly tested positive for the virus. that's nearly 10% of the league. all right. the browns went into last night's rescheduled game against the raiders with 18 players on the covid list including quarterback baker mayfield and his backup case keenum. they announced quarterback nick mullens who put cleveland in position to win. he threw a 6 yard touchdown pass on fourth down to harrison bryant which gave the browns the lead. derek carr making a big move to get the raiders in goal position. he nailed a 48 yard eras time expired. raiders staying alive for the playoffs in a 16-14 win. with a win over the shorthanded bears, chicago without 14 players and a number of koecoaches due to covid. kirk cousins threw for only 87 yards, but it was enough against the bears. vikings win 17-9 to improve to 7 and 7. they are now in the last playoff spot in the nfc. the bears at 4 and 10 on the season have been eliminated. all right, finally one of the worst feelings a dancer has to be when you get lost in a routine. but it happened to jazz dancer danielle bush last night. however, she was set up by her squad. they planned a new routine without her knowing to bruno mars' song, marry you. then danielle's boyfriend popped out of nowhere to propose to her. i tell you what, guys. you see a lot of surprise proposals. that's one of the coolest ones i've ever seen. in her mind she went from a horrified moment to probably one of the best moments in her life. >> that's incredible. wow, what a pendulum from oh, my god, i'm out here, i don't know this routine to, yes. she said yes. did she say yes? >> of course, she did. >> she's putting on the ring. >> what a very cool moment. thanks so much. nice to see you. >> all right. >> here's another cool moment. mcdonald's employee in minnesota clocked out of her shift a hero after she saved a customer from choking. 15-year-old sidney raley was working the drive-thru saturday. she realized a woman was choking on her food. >> she was coughing profusely. i could tell, like, oh, crap, she's choking. i jumped out the window of the drive-thru, and i got her out of the car, told her daughter to call 911. >> sidney and a bystander performed the heimlich maneuver, saved her life. she said she learned the heimlich in a red cross baby-sitting class. police gave her a $100 reward for people who do good deeds in the community. >> that is amazing. so great. finally for you this morning, a new member of the first family just moved into the white house. president biden and the first lady have a new puppy, a pure bred german shepherd. his name is commander. he was a birthday gift to the president from his brother and sister-in-law. commander was born september 1st, and arrived at the white house yesterday. what a wonderful birthday and christmas present. and, christine, we hear they are getting a cat as well. >> oh, wow. lots of pets at the white house. >> all right. thanks for joining us, everybody. i'm christine romans. >> you have to do something to brighten your spirits now. >> brothers, please don't give me another dog for christmas. >> i'm laura jarrett. "new day" is next. ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ it's the last minute gift sale. get up to % off storewide. this is how we shine. at zales. the diamond store. ♪ (vo) reflect on the past, celebrate the future. season's greetings from audi. how did olay top expensive creams? like this with hydration that beats the $100 cream in every jar of regenerist retinol24 collagen peptide new vitamin c and the iconic red jar can't top this skin shop now at olay.com hey, angie! you forgot your phone! hey lou! angie forget her phone again? yep. lou! mom said she could save up to $400 on her wireless bill by switching to xfinity internet and mobile. with nationwide 5g at no extra cost. and lou! on the most reliable network, lou! smart kid, bill. oh oh so true. and now, the moon christmas special. gotta go! take the savings challenge at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings or visit an xfinity store to learn how our switch squad makes switching fast and easy this holiday season. a plan the nhl became the first pro sports league in the u.s. to halt all games in response to the covid outbreak. the new measures being taken to try to save the season. strong words from senator joe manchin after he rejected the president's build back better plan. who he is blaming for the breakdown. and commander in leash? meet the newest four-legged member of the first family

Related Keywords

Snow , Story , Ose , U S , Laura Jarrett , Everyone , New York , Thanks , Start , Winter , Winter Solstice , Christine Romans , December 21st , 00 , 5 , Tuesday December 21st , 21 , President , Big Time Winter Plan , Testing , Rapid Covid , Plan , Spread , Morning , Corner , Key , Northern Hemisphere , Biden Set , Cases , Cnn , Purchase , Home Rapid Tests , A Billion , 73 , Omicron Variant , Omicron , Strain , Outpacing Delta , Season , Hospitals , Nine Nhl , Resurgence , Hold , Son Ice , Jasmine Wright , Reporter , Christine , White House , Vaccine , Covid Exhaustion , Washington , Part , Tests , Kind , Reversal , 500 Million , People , It , Test , Testing Part , Countries , Video , Europe , Asia , The Street , Country , Officials , Members , Hospital Systems , Nurses , Doctors , 1000 , A Thousand , Something , Course , Increase , Shot , Vaccination Sites , Vaccinations , Arms , Unvaccinated , Say , Wintertime , Warning , Difference , Nothing , Dr , Freedom , Message , Dichotomy , Anthony Fauci , Family , Disease , 800000 , Someone , Chances , Responsibility , Body , Problem , Solution , Nobody , Mask , Which , Setting , Mistake , Pandemic , Administration , Control , Language , Office , Mid Level Staffer , Jasmin , Pcr Test , Contact , Staffer , Flight , Negative , Air Force One , South Carolina , Cdc Guidelines , One , 30 , Results , Hope , Symptoms , Plans , Variant , Mask Mandate , Changes , Effect , Vaccine Requirement , The City , Boston , Employees , Customers , Restaurants , Mandate , Fitness Venues , Bars , Dining , First , Gyms , 125 , Event , Bill De Blasio , Teams , Sports Games , Venues , Military , Wisconsin , Theater Shows , Indiana , Indoor Entertainment , Covid Relief , Two , Joe Biden On Sunday , More , Hospitalization Rates , Defense Production Act , Employers , Companies , Experts , Return , 60 , Schedules , Promotions , Opportunities , Challenge , Fair , Managers , Evaluation , 10 , Workers , Base Pay , Performance , Ways , Raise , Reason , Work Options , Schedule Flexibility , Survey , Job , Pay , Job Hoppers , 2020 , 2022 , 3 9 , Variants , Reality , Many , Rooms , 6 , Senator Manchin , Bill , Democrats , Way , Vote , Parts , Party , Bh Build , Things , Screening , Colon Cancer , Workouts , Coaching , Yep , American Cancer Society , 45 , Risk , Adults , Cancer , Colon Cancers , Cologuard , Stages , 92 , 50 , Lot , Home , Woman , Farmers , Provider , Forgiveness , Farmers Policy Perks , Forgiveness Ness , Pa Dum , Bum , Quote Today , Gift , Off Storewide , Sale , 40 , Store , Zales , Future , Owner , Tools , Access , Investor , Advice , Everything , No , Bum Ray , Vacations , Diabetes , Vanguard , Glucose Levels , Mystery , A1c , Libre 2 , 2 , Visit Freestylelibre Us , Voters , Recipe , Finger , Destruction , Blowback , Votes , Yes , Party Leaders , Agenda , Negotiating Table , Races , Pieces , Oman , Majority , Proposal , 1 75 Trillion , 75 Trillion , Executive Action , Number , Legislation , Offer , Obamacare Expansion , Program , Children , Decision , Jessica Dean , Child Tax Credit , Poverty Including Kids In Manchin , Home State Of West Virginia , Extension , Build , Form , Capitol Hill , Issues , Commitments , Conversation , Sources , Staff , Listen , Detail , Blame , Anybody , Excusable , Person , Anything , Protesters , Badger , Enough , West Virginia , Guess What , Crap , Schmus Ubmissive Per , Committee System , Senators , Provisions , Senate , Mind , Republicans Won T , Election , Amount , Support , Action , Some , Progressives , Question , Wins , Chuck Schumer , Senator , Holiday Recess , Public , Floor , Holiday Break , Drama Taking A Toll , Member , Incumbents , Term , House , Mood , Seats , Reelection , California , Won T Run , Lucille , 2022 Lucille , 22 , Stephanie Murray , The Party , Path , Journey , Rising Star , Isn T Running Again , Florida , Committee , Murphy , Republicans , Pressure , Seat , Redistricting Process , Challenging , My Life , Retirements , January 6 , Committee Seeking , Lawmaker , 11 , Scott Perry , Justice , Testimony , Subpoena , Interview , Acting Attorney General , Efforts , Department Official Jeffrey Clark , Pennsylvania , Cooperation , Trump , List , Idea , Claims , Presidency , Investigations , Voter Fraud , Predates The Capitol Riot , Department Pursuing Unfounded , Lawsuit , State , Company , Paula Reid , Attorney General , Business Practices , Investigation , Letitia James , Value , Running Investigation , Federal Court , Assets , Trump Organization , Loan Terms , Rates , Insurance , Taxes , Manhattan District Attorney , Organization , James Taylor , Attorneys , Charges , Timing , Executives , Oath , Statement , Specific , Career , Rights , Allegations , Actions , Quote , Law , Saying , Mr , Wall , Name , Statements , Campaign Promise , Prison , Washington State , Four , Develin Thompson , Police Officer , Officer , Grounds , Rioter , U S Capitol , Felony Charge , Capitol Riot , Three , Chris Noth , Stars , Sexual Assault Allegations , Co Star , Weapon , Coming Up , Sex In The City , Greetings , Audi , Smoking , Nicorette , Words , Autism , Cold Turkey , World , Kinder , Autism Spectrum , Maggie Gronewald , Finding Understanding Doesn T , Millions , Autismspeaks Org , T Mobile , Skin , Bond , Weather , Feeling , Ointment , Restore Healthy , Love , Both , Airpods , Let S Go , Iphone 13 Pro , Dianne , 13 , Ring , Internet , Credit , Xfinity , Internet Service , Emergency Broadband Benefit Program , Equipment , 0 , Click , Call , Xfinity Mobile , 15 , Holiday Forecast , Feet , Drought , Dent , Rain , Meteorologist Tyler Malden , West Coast , 8 , Winds , Portions , Region , Cold Front , Shore , Sierra Nevada , River , Rainfall , Coast , Snowfall , Swath , Line , Moisture , Crashes , Pacific , Elevation , 3 , Snow Pack , Northern Rockies , Rockies , Pacific Northwest , Guys , Groceries , Portion , Shelves , Epicenter , Earthquake , Store Windows , Northern California , 6 2 , Injuries , Collaborators , Damage , Concert Film , Carole King , Friends , San Francisco , Legends , My Name , 9 , Sunday January 2nd 9 00 Pm , Lisa , Experience , Caregiver , Jobs , Group , Hostages , Stefano , Escape , Gang , Ransom , Missionaries , Details , Haiti , Christian Aid , 12 , News Conference , Release , Christian Aid Ministries , 17 , Women , God , Taking , Knees , Ohio , Direction , Stake , Resolution , Desire , Lives , Authorities , Kidnappers , Events , Waiting , Series , Business , Groups , Ransom Kidnapping , The One , Information , Circumstances , Kidnappings , 900 , Early Start , Tuesday Morning , Stories , Eye , 19 , Thing , Kim Potter , Crime , Lady , Manslaughter Trial , Jury Deliberations , My Gosh , Ex Minnesota , Traffic Stop Back , Firearm , Jury , Sex Trafficking Trial , Deliberations , Taser , Fate , Hands , Daunte Wright , Ghislaine Maxwell , Rules , Social Media , Rise , Policies , Service , Maxwell , Updating , Military Ranks , Extremism , Views , Pentagon , 70 , Military Personnel , Fuel Standards , Veterans , Cars , Trucks , Spacex , Vehicles , Space Station , Mission , Average , Gas , Dragon Spacecraft A , Carbon Emissions , 55 , 2026 , Door , Record , Flights , Flagship Rocket , News , Kennedy Space Center , 2021 , 31 , Places , Covid Tests , Americans , Response , Lab Test , Lines , Day One , Test Flying , Stores , Store Shelves , Press Secretary , Clorox , Cost , Everywhere , Objective , Quantities , Money , Flip Remark , Remark , Mess A , Mesa , Arizona , Holidays , Father , Vaccinated , Peace , Uncle , Boostered , Fact , Everybody , Precautions , Factor , Good , Resurging Nationwide , Wow , Play , Marker , Nation , Afternoon , Website , Military Service Members , Case , Personnel , Surge , Surges , Screen , Shots , Speech , Reporters , Areas , Jen Psaki , White House Press Secretary , Individuals , Risks , Speech Outlining , Benefits , Place , Threat , March Of 2020 , Point , Psaki , Shutdowns , Big Day , Ddr , Chris Pernell , Don T Know , Households , Know , 18th Of December , 18 , Schools , Grocery Stores , Homes , Pharmacies , Approach , Illnesses , Death , Life , Vaccines , Posture , Infection , Long Covid , Asymptomatic , Outcome , Doctor , Haven T , Supporters , Reaction , Booster , People Don T , Don T , Vaccined , Breakthrough , Order , Smattering , Science , Politicization , Public Health , Folks , Winter Break , Think Covid , Terms , Well , Subject , Kids , Least , Child , Pcr , Masks , Parents , Disposal , Addition , Power , Steps , Spaces , Air , Take , Filtering , Priority , Analysis , Risk Analysis , Director General , Safe , Behavior , Who , Holiday Gatherings , Families , Airports , Gathering , Family Members , Household , Bottom Line , Safer , Doors , Windows , Another , Sense , Moody S , Recovery , Flags , Percentage Point , Opposition , Punch , Covid Surge , Forecast , Zandi , Goldman Sachs , Quarters , Beauty , Crepe Corrector Lotion , Holiday , Connection , Center Diamonds , Kay , Sing 2 , Sing , Theaters , Tunes , Movie , Sing Karaoke , , 1 , Rewards , Tickets , App , Fandango , A Million , Germany , Approaches , Fred Pleitgen , Nations , Leaders , People Safe , Berlin , Huts , Infections , Antigen Test , Times , Strategy , Politicians , Fear , Delta Variant , United Kingdom , Lockdown , Denmark , Shops , Dutch , Germans , State Leaders , Chancellor , Impact , Deal , Olaf Scholz , Restrictions , New Year S Eve , 28th Of December , 28 , Concern , Doing , Gatherings , Ordering Emergency , Emergency Contingency Plans , Health Care System , Work Force , Institutions , Force , Stop , Instance , Middle , Right , Reca , Propaganda Terror A , Proctor Gamble , Wake , Pantene , Herbal Essences , Co Stars , Accounts , Kristen Davis , Cbs , Experiences , Noth , Sexual Assault , Trevor Noah , Peloton , Talent Agency , Operation , Comedian , New York Hospital For Special Surgery , Complaint , Noah , Hospital , Surgery , Result , Nature , Stocks , Stock Index Futures , Check , Markets , Look , Side , Bounce , Lower , Cnn Business , Bell , Context , Restriction , Averages , Fears , Economy , S P 500 , 500 , Investors , Table , Surprise , Oil Prices , Fuel , Gas Prices , Barrel , Demand , 4 , 68 Bucks , 68 , Industry , Spain , Spending Bill , Sentiment , Growth , Tax Credits , Nick , Farah Day Future , Electric Vehicle , Tesla , Lordstown Motors , General Motors , La , Biden Has , Half , Andy Scholes , 2030 , Games , Pro Sports League , Players , Covid Testing , Bleacher Report , Nine , Seasons , Announcement , Pause , League Shutdown Travel , Canada , 49 , Names , Chiefs , Nfl , Travis Kelsey , Tight End , Joey Bosa , 51 , Virus , 213 , Nick Mullens , Baker Mayfield , Browns , Game , Raiders , Backup , Covid List , Last Night , Case Keenum , Cleveland , Derek Carr , Lead , Position , Goal Position , Move , Touchdown , Harrison Bryant , 48 , Bears , Win , Playoffs , Chicago , 14 , 16 , To Covid , Yards , Playoff Spot , Koecoaches , Kirk Cousins , Vikings , Nfc , 7 , 87 , Jazz Dancer Danielle Bush Last Night , Routine , Dancer , Feelings , Squad , Knowing , Surprise Proposals , Song , Boyfriend , Nowhere , Ones , Bruno Mars , Pendulum , Employee , Customer , Hero , The Ring , Sidney Raley , Mcdonald S , Window , Drive , Food , Coughing Profusely , Drive Thru , Car , Bystander , Class , Daughter , Sidney , Heimlich Maneuver , Red Cross , 911 , German Shepherd , Community , Police , Deeds , Reward , First Lady , Pure Bred , 100 , Commander , Birthday Gift , Birthday , Brother And Sister In Law , September 1st , Brothers , Spirits , Cat , Lots , Pets , Dog , Vo , Hydration , Creams , Cream , Olay , Regenerist Retinol24 , Skin Shop , Jar , Red Jar , Vitamin C , Angie , Phone , Mom , Lou , 5g , Network , Mobile , Smart Kid , 400 , Holiday Season , Switch Squad , Savings , Moon Christmas Special , Go , Gotta , Measures , Covid Outbreak , Breakdown , Leash ,