we ll start with the latest headlines surrounding covid s new wave. the biden administration will soon be sending a half billion free tests to american homes, as pharmacies struggle to keep up with demand. more on the biden plan in just a moment. it comes as hospitals reach a breaking point thanks to the one-two punch of delta and omicron. professional hockey is being put on ice, literally, with a game last night postponed over covid concerns. new york city s outgoing mayor is paying people 100 bucks to get boosted. i like it. that works. while the incoming mayor scrubbed plans to celebrate his inauguration. i like it. get to work, baby. get to work. that s a good idea. atlanta reinstates an indoor mask mandate as health care workers in california will be required to get an extra shot. and what about the nation s schools? we ll get to the fast-moving developments on that front straight ahead. good morning and welcome to morning joe. it is wednesday, decemb
up in the courtroom and said black lives do matter. a new coalition government in germany led by social democrat olaf scholz pledges to make climate change its top priority. and new zealand finally announces its plans to welcome back foreigners next year. live from our studio in singapore. this is bbc news. it s newsday. welcome to the programme. french officials now say 27 people have drowned in the channel off calais in the worst incident since the waters between france and the uk became a major route for migrants. two people were rescued and are being treated in hospital another person is missing. the french authorities say four suspected people smugglers have been arrested in connexion with wednesday s deaths. our correspondent lucy williamson is in calais. well, as you say, the rescue and recovery operation has been going on here into the night. but there are very few details so far about who the victims are or why their boat sank. and there are questions already b
ajury of 11 whites a jury of 11 whites and one blake ajury of 11 whites and one blake in the deep south one black stood up in the courtroom and said black lives do matter. a new coalition government in germany, led by social democrat olaf scholz, pledges to make climate change its top priority. and, after being closed to tourists for two years, new zealand finally announces its plans to welcome back foreigners next year. live from our studio in singapore. this is bbc news. it s newsday. it s 7amin singapore and midnight in paris where a short while ago, the french interior ministry confirmed that 27 migrants have drowned while trying to cross from france. earlier, president macron said it was feared the death toll could be as high as 31. it is by far the biggest loss of life in a single incident on that route. air and sea rescue operations have been under way for several hours. our correspondent lucy williamson is in calais. as you say, the rescue and recovery operation
shot ahmaud arbery and killed him. the scene caught on video because bryan filmed it. michael mcmurder and travis mcmichael and william bryan each face life in prison. quote, guilty, guilty, get, after nearly two years of pain, suffer asking wondering if ahmad s killers would be held to account the family has some justice. while today is not one for celebration, it is one for reflection. this case, by all accounts should have been opened and closed the violent stalking and lynching of ahmaud arbery was documented on video for the world to witness. but yet, because of the deep cracks, flaws, and biases in our systems we were left to wonder if we would ever see justice. america you raised your voice force ahmad. now is not the time to let them be quiet. keep marching, keep fighting for what is right, and never stop run forth ahmad. this afternoon, emotional reaction from ahmaud arbery s family. back in 2020 i never thought this day would come. but god is good. yes, he is.
this is cnn breaking news. we begin with the breaking news. closing arguments are done for the day in brunswick, georgia, where three men are charged in the death of ahmaud arbery. our senior national correspondent sara sidner is on the story for us. update our viewers. well, the prosecution will start their closing arguments, rebuttal, tomorrow. but today they hammered the defendants while the defense talked a lot about ahmaud arbery, upsetting his mother. everybody in this case had a gun except ahmad arpree. the prosecution hammering the three men accused of chasing down, murdering ahmaud arbery who was unarmed and unaware he was about to be killed. all three men face several felony charges besides murder. arbery was shot at close range and still tried to fight back before dying. how dare mr. arbery defend himself against their four felonies? isn t that what they are saying to you? reporter: the defense began their closing blaming arbery for his own demise. he