future than i ve ever been. at our best we ve taken every crisis we ve faced and turned it into an opportunity to be a stronger and better nation. biden and the first lady also paid tribute to medical workers on the front lines of the covid fight. major new year s eve plans were scaled back around the world due to the spread of the omicron variant, but many say they still found ways to celebrate. that, of course, times square in new york city. only about 15,000 masked and fully vaccinated people gathered in person for the times square ball drop. over in london, big ben s clock chimed at the stroke of midnight, kicking off a spectacular new year s eve celebration in the uk. another major show of fireworks in dubai to bring in the new year. still ahead, now that 2022