europe. and in the u.s., the new variant has become the dominant strain in just three weeks. i ll speak to a doctor about this rapid rise. joe biden s domestic agenda takes a hit as democrats fight over his build back better bill. what s being done to try to salvage the deal? plus, u.s. missionaries kidnapped in haiti say they made a daring escape. we ll bring you the latest detalds. announcer: live from cnn center, this is cnn newsroom with rosemary church. well, fears of an omicron takeover are becoming a reality in the u.s. on monday the cdc announced the highly contagious variant now accounts for more than 73% of new cases. omicron has been detected in all but two u.s. states, and it s even more prevalent in parts of the southeast and northwest. the variant s rapid spread comes during the busy holiday season, straining the country s testing capacity. some states are now deploying the national guard to assist, and military teams are being sent to support overwh
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
earth written response to manchin s announcement appeared to make things more tense. word today of a sunday night phone call between manchin and president biden to try mend the relationship and try to save something legislatively. but breaking in just the past few minutes, the cdc now says only chron is the most common coronavirus variant in the u.s. accounting for nearly three quarters of the covid-19 cases. this as the biden administration is dealing with a massive increase in the overall number of coronavirus infections. and the perception it was not ready for either delta or the new omicron strains. the president is scheduled to outline his response to the surge in a speech tomorrow. wall street is not waiting. investors bailed today with major markets losing around 1 percentage point in value. over the weekend a federal court reinstated the administration s vaccine mandate for large businesses there are several emergency petitions between the u.s. supreme court seeking t
i m sorry it happened. i m so sorry. o donnell: schools on alert: how unspecified threats of violence on tiktok force some to cancel classes. america s education system is under attack right now. o donnell: paid family leave: tonight, meet the small-business owner giving paid family leave to all her employees. but she s the exception, not the rule. why that s pushing american mothers out of the workforce. tiger woods tees it high and lets it fly. plus the incredible putt from his 12-year-old son, charlie. and on the road, with the story of a mother s grief that you won t soon forget. this is the cbs evening news with norah o donnell reporting from the nation s capital. o donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us. well, what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year has become a season of worry for many americans, with the u.s. facing what might be the most severe wave yet of covid infections. in fact, that wave
i m so sorry. o donnell: schools on alert: how unspecified threats of violence on tiktok force some to cancel classes. america s education system is under attack right now. o donnell: paid family leave: tonight, meet the small-business owner giving paid family leave to all her employees. but she s the exception, not the rule. why that s pushing american mothers out of the workforce. tiger woods tees it high and lets it fly. plus the incredible putt from his 12-year-old son, charlie. and on the road, with story of a mother s grief that you won t soon forget. this is the cbs evening news with norah o donnell reporting from the nation s capital. o donnell: good evening, and thank you for joining us. well, what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year has become a season of worry for many americans with the u.s. facing what might be the most severe wave yet of covid infections. in fact, that wave is expected to be so big, a former head of the c.d.c. cal