LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska food company and its insurer want a warehouse company to pay them more than $400,000 because a shipment of bacon was destroyed inside one of its warehouses in Lincoln last year. 

Omaha food manufacturer Westin Inc. and Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company filed a lawsuit last week against warehousing company Universal Pure over the August 2020 incident. 

They say Universal Pure should have maintained its warehouse better to avoid the problem. 

The bacon was destroyed when water accumulated and froze in a wall cavity of the warehouse, which led the wall to bow, pushing on pallet racking and causing a collapse.

 Universal Pure hasn’t yet responded to the lawsuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640547167320.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska food company and its insurer want a warehouse company to pay them more than $400,000 because a shipment of bacon was destroyed inside one of its warehouses in Lincoln last year. Omaha food manufacturer Westin Inc. and Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company filed a lawsuit last week against warehousing company Universal Pure over the August 2020 incident. They say Universal Pure should have maintained its warehouse better to avoid the problem. The bacon was destroyed when water accumulated and froze in a wall cavity of the warehouse, which led the wall to bow, pushing on pallet racking and causing a collapse. Universal Pure hasn’t yet responded to the lawsuit.

Food company sues over bacon that spoiled in warehouse

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old man died several hours after he was struck by a pickup truck while he was crossing an Omaha street on Saturday. 

Omaha Police said Seth Dawson was hit by a 2009 GMC Sierra pickup around 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. He died early Sunday at an Omaha hospital. 

Police said Dawson was walking just outside the crosswalk when he was hit while trying to cross Northwest Radial in the Benson area. 

The 31-year-old man who was driving the pickup was arrested after the crash because he had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. 

Police were still investigating the crash on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637688395425.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old man died several hours after he was struck by a pickup truck while he was crossing an Omaha street on Saturday. Omaha Police said Seth Dawson was hit by a 2009 GMC Sierra pickup around 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. He died early Sunday at an Omaha hospital. Police said Dawson was walking just outside the crosswalk when he was hit while trying to cross Northwest Radial in the Benson area. The 31-year-old man who was driving the pickup was arrested after the crash because he had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. Police were still investigating the crash on Sunday.

Nebraska pedestrian dies after being hit by truck in Omaha

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured two officers.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, officers responded to a business in the 4800 block of South Washington regarding a domestic violence incident that had occurred early Friday morning at a home in the 500 block of South Lulu, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

At the business, officers contacted a 22-year-old woman who reported her boyfriend 24-year-old Malik Rodgers entering her home on Lulu at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday without her permission, punching her causing injuries, threatening her, and pointing a handgun at her.&nbsp; 

The woman also reported a domestic violence incident that occurred on Thursday at the home on Lulu where Rogers grabbed her neck causing injuries and a family member had to restrain Rogers to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Officers continued to investigate the domestic violence cases and went to the apartments in the 2600 block of South Emporia in an attempt to locate and arrest Rodgers for domestic violence charges.

Officers contacted Rodgers at his apartment and began speaking with him to place him under arrest.&nbsp; Rogers was not compliant with the officers and a physical struggle ensued between the officers and Rogers.&nbsp; 

During the struggle, officers attempted to subdue him with the use of a Taser but it was not effective and Rogers barricaded himself inside of a bathroom. Po

Officers forced open the bathroom door and Rogers pointed a handgun at them and fired multiple shots, striking the officers.

One officer was shot in the arm and the second officer was struck in the leg.&nbsp; Both officers exited the home and were taken to an area hospital for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Other officers contained the suspect inside of the residence and the assistance of the WPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and crisis negotiators were requested.&nbsp; WPD Crisis Negoatiors made several attempts to communicate with Rogers but were unsuccessful.&nbsp; Upon SWAT entering the home, Rogers was located with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;

Rogers has had previous felony convictions for attempted 2nd-degree murder and aggravated assault and was on parole with the Kansas Department of Corrections.

No officers fired any shots from their duty weapons during the incident. The officers injured have both been employed with WPD for less than one year

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640461457208.png" alt="Image of the suspect-Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image of the suspect-Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured two officers.Just after 10:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, officers responded to a business in the 4800 block of South Washington regarding a domestic violence incident that had occurred early Friday morning at a home in the 500 block of South Lulu, according to Officer Charley Davidson.At the business, officers contacted a 22-year-old woman who reported her boyfriend 24-year-old Malik Rodgers entering her home on Lulu at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday without her permission, punching her causing injuries, threatening her, and pointing a handgun at her.&nbsp; The woman also reported a domestic violence incident that occurred on Thursday at the home on Lulu where Rogers grabbed her neck causing injuries and a family member had to restrain Rogers to prevent the situation from escalating further.Officers continued to investigate the domestic violence cases and went to the apartments in the 2600 block of South Emporia in an attempt to locate and arrest Rodgers for domestic violence charges.Officers contacted Rodgers at his apartment and began speaking with him to place him under arrest.&nbsp; Rogers was not compliant with the officers and a physical struggle ensued between the officers and Rogers.&nbsp; During the struggle, officers attempted to subdue him with the use of a Taser but it was not effective and Rogers barricaded himself inside of a bathroom. Po<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443673846.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers forced open the bathroom door and Rogers pointed a handgun at them and fired multiple shots, striking the officers.One officer was shot in the arm and the second officer was struck in the leg.&nbsp; Both officers exited the home and were taken to an area hospital for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.Other officers contained the suspect inside of the residence and the assistance of the WPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and crisis negotiators were requested.&nbsp; WPD Crisis Negoatiors made several attempts to communicate with Rogers but were unsuccessful.&nbsp; Upon SWAT entering the home, Rogers was located with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;Rogers has had previous felony convictions for attempted 2nd-degree murder and aggravated assault and was on parole with the Kansas Department of Corrections.No officers fired any shots from their duty weapons during the incident. The officers injured have both been employed with WPD for less than one year

Suspect who shot Kan. officers was on parole for attempted murder

When Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston resumed in-person services late last year, after a seven-month halt due to COVID-19, there were Sundays when only three worshippers showed up, according to the pastor, Meredith Mills.

Since then, attendance has inched back up, but it’s still only about half the pre-pandemic turnout of 160 or 170, Mills estimates.

“It’s frustrating,” she said. “People just seem to want to leave home less these days.”

Some houses of worship are faring better than Mills’ church, some worse. Polls by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance.

Among mainline Protestants, just 1% said in a May 2020 poll that they were attending in-person services at least once a week. In the new poll, 14% say they’re doing so now, compared to 16% who say they did in 2019.

Among evangelical Protestants, 37% now say they are attending services in person at least weekly, while 42% said they did that in 2019. In the May 2020 poll, just 11% said they were attending services in person that often.

Among Catholics, 26% attend in person at least weekly now, compared with 30% in 2019. In the 2020 poll, conducted as many bishops temporarily waived the obligation for weekly Mass attendance, just 5% were worshipping in person at least weekly.

At St. Ambrose Catholic Parish in Brunswick, Ohio, the six services each weekend drew a total of about 3,800 worshippers before the pandemic, according to the pastor, Bob Stec. Current weekend attendance is about 2,800, Stec says, with 1,600 or more households joining online worship.

Elsewhere, churches large and small have taken hits in attendance.

John Elkins, teaching pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Brazoria, Texas, says 25 to 30 people have attended services recently, down from around 50 before the pandemic.

“For some, I was not political enough,” he said via email. “Some wanted more activities, some just stopped going to church.”

Sovereign Grace, a Southern Baptist church, had never offered online worship before the pandemic. When in-person worship was halted for a month in 2020, leaving online worship as the only option, Elkins said he did more crisis counseling for congregation members than ever before.

At the much larger First Church of God in Columbus, Ohio, there was a near-total halt to in-person worship between March 2020 and September of this year. On two Sundays in September 2020, worshippers were invited back to the church to test the feasibility of in-person services.

“But it was obvious they were still uncomfortable -- they came dressed like they were working at Chernobyl,” said the senior pastor, Bishop Timothy Clarke, evoking hazmat suits appropriate for confronting a nuclear disaster.

Pre-pandemic, the predominantly African American church held three services each weekend, including one on Saturday evenings, with average total attendance of 2,500. Now there’s a single service on Sunday, and only 500 worshippers – with masks and proof of vaccination -- are allowed into a sanctuary that can seat more than 1,500.

The return to in-person worship “gives us a sense of connection and community,” Clarke said. “But you also have safety.”

At All Saints’ Episcopal Church in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, average Sunday attendance dropped from about 140 pre-pandemic to as low as 30 before climbing back, reaching 120 earlier this month. The Rev. Steven Paulikas credits a mandatory mask policy.

“Mask wearing puts people at ease about their health and allows them to do what people come to church to do -- worship God,” he said.

Attendance is down sharply from pre-pandemic levels at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Cary, Illinois, which halted in-person, indoor worship for more than six months in 2020. Instead it held drive-in services in the parking lot.

Before the pandemic, about 115 people would attend one of two services offered on Sundays, said the pastor, Sarah Wilson. Now there’s one service, and attendance is down by more than half.

“Some families are still nervous about being in a room with others, even though most people attending are vaccinated and we require masks,” she said. “Other people have re-ordered their priorities and worship isn’t one of them.”

Friendswood United Methodist Church, in the Houston suburbs, has endured not only COVID-19 disruptions but also flooding during a winter storm last February that rendered the sanctuary unusable. It just reopened for services this month, said the pastor, Jim Bass.

Pre-pandemic, Friendswoods’ Sunday services would draw about 900 worshippers; Bass was pleased that about 650 gathered when the sanctuary reopened for high-energy, music-filled services on Dec. 5.

However, he said average attendance has been only half of that during most of the pandemic, creating a $400,000 shortfall in expected giving.

Like many houses of worship, Friendswood offered online services as an alternative to in-person attendance. He considers them a mixed blessing -- a plus for elderly congregation members worried about their health, but a disincentive for others who are increasingly disconnected from the church.

“They’ve become spectators,” Bass said.

At Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rabbi Asher Knight was elated that recent Hannukah celebrations drew about 300 people in person. Overall, attendance now is roughly half of pre-pandemic levels, but an improvement over periods earlier this year when only a handful of worshippers appeared.

“It was demoralizing and painful to lead worship with virtually no one present,” he said. “But in October and November, people got the booster and their children got vaccinated and they slowly started coming back.”

In September, amid a surge in COVID cases, Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida, observed the Jewish High Holy Days with no in-person services. So the sanctuary wouldn’t look so empty for online services, Rabbi Judith Siegal and her staff filled it with cardboard cutouts of congregation members, including children and pets.

In-person worship has now resumed, and the range of weekly attendance – 75 to 125 people – is close to pre-pandemic levels.

“We’re still wearing masks, and the seating is still spread out,” Siegal said. “But our members love it.”

Among Christians, the option of worshipping online has been embraced by many evangelical Protestants, according to the AP-NORC poll. About 3 in 10 have livestreamed services at least weekly in recent months, compared with about 1 in 10 Catholics or mainline Protestants.

Three-quarters of evangelical Protestants say they pray privately at least weekly, compared with roughly half of mainline Protestants and Catholics, the poll found.

Roughly a quarter of evangelical Protestants say they’ve recently talked by phone or video conference with a religious or spiritual leader at least a few times a month, compared with about 1 in 10 mainline Protestants and Catholics.

Some faith leaders, such as Meredith Mills, see some positives, such as more energy in the church, even with fewer worshippers.

“The ones showing up right now are the people who really want to be there,” she said. “There’s a lot of joy in the room Sunday mornings. It’s one of the reasons that, despite everything, I still love my job.”

By DAVID CRARY, Associated PressWhen Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston resumed in-person services late last year, after a seven-month halt due to COVID-19, there were Sundays when only three worshippers showed up, according to the pastor, Meredith Mills.Since then, attendance has inched back up, but it’s still only about half the pre-pandemic turnout of 160 or 170, Mills estimates.“It’s frustrating,” she said. “People just seem to want to leave home less these days.”Some houses of worship are faring better than Mills’ church, some worse. Polls by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance.Among mainline Protestants, just 1% said in a May 2020 poll that they were attending in-person services at least once a week. In the new poll, 14% say they’re doing so now, compared to 16% who say they did in 2019.Among evangelical Protestants, 37% now say they are attending services in person at least weekly, while 42% said they did that in 2019. In the May 2020 poll, just 11% said they were attending services in person that often.Among Catholics, 26% attend in person at least weekly now, compared with 30% in 2019. In the 2020 poll, conducted as many bishops temporarily waived the obligation for weekly Mass attendance, just 5% were worshipping in person at least weekly.At St. Ambrose Catholic Parish in Brunswick, Ohio, the six services each weekend drew a total of about 3,800 worshippers before the pandemic, according to the pastor, Bob Stec. Current weekend attendance is about 2,800, Stec says, with 1,600 or more households joining online worship.Elsewhere, churches large and small have taken hits in attendance.John Elkins, teaching pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Brazoria, Texas, says 25 to 30 people have attended services recently, down from around 50 before the pandemic.“For some, I was not political enough,” he said via email. “Some wanted more activities, some just stopped going to church.”Sovereign Grace, a Southern Baptist church, had never offered online worship before the pandemic. When in-person worship was halted for a month in 2020, leaving online worship as the only option, Elkins said he did more crisis counseling for congregation members than ever before.At the much larger First Church of God in Columbus, Ohio, there was a near-total halt to in-person worship between March 2020 and September of this year. On two Sundays in September 2020, worshippers were invited back to the church to test the feasibility of in-person services.“But it was obvious they were still uncomfortable -- they came dressed like they were working at Chernobyl,” said the senior pastor, Bishop Timothy Clarke, evoking hazmat suits appropriate for confronting a nuclear disaster.Pre-pandemic, the predominantly African American church held three services each weekend, including one on Saturday evenings, with average total attendance of 2,500. Now there’s a single service on Sunday, and only 500 worshippers – with masks and proof of vaccination -- are allowed into a sanctuary that can seat more than 1,500.The return to in-person worship “gives us a sense of connection and community,” Clarke said. “But you also have safety.”At All Saints’ Episcopal Church in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, average Sunday attendance dropped from about 140 pre-pandemic to as low as 30 before climbing back, reaching 120 earlier this month. The Rev. Steven Paulikas credits a mandatory mask policy.“Mask wearing puts people at ease about their health and allows them to do what people come to church to do -- worship God,” he said.Attendance is down sharply from pre-pandemic levels at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Cary, Illinois, which halted in-person, indoor worship for more than six months in 2020. Instead it held drive-in services in the parking lot.Before the pandemic, about 115 people would attend one of two services offered on Sundays, said the pastor, Sarah Wilson. Now there’s one service, and attendance is down by more than half.“Some families are still nervous about being in a room with others, even though most people attending are vaccinated and we require masks,” she said. “Other people have re-ordered their priorities and worship isn’t one of them.”Friendswood United Methodist Church, in the Houston suburbs, has endured not only COVID-19 disruptions but also flooding during a winter storm last February that rendered the sanctuary unusable. It just reopened for services this month, said the pastor, Jim Bass.Pre-pandemic, Friendswoods’ Sunday services would draw about 900 worshippers; Bass was pleased that about 650 gathered when the sanctuary reopened for high-energy, music-filled services on Dec. 5.However, he said average attendance has been only half of that during most of the pandemic, creating a $400,000 shortfall in expected giving.Like many houses of worship, Friendswood offered online services as an alternative to in-person attendance. He considers them a mixed blessing -- a plus for elderly congregation members worried about their health, but a disincentive for others who are increasingly disconnected from the church.“They’ve become spectators,” Bass said.At Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rabbi Asher Knight was elated that recent Hannukah celebrations drew about 300 people in person. Overall, attendance now is roughly half of pre-pandemic levels, but an improvement over periods earlier this year when only a handful of worshippers appeared.“It was demoralizing and painful to lead worship with virtually no one present,” he said. “But in October and November, people got the booster and their children got vaccinated and they slowly started coming back.”In September, amid a surge in COVID cases, Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida, observed the Jewish High Holy Days with no in-person services. So the sanctuary wouldn’t look so empty for online services, Rabbi Judith Siegal and her staff filled it with cardboard cutouts of congregation members, including children and pets.In-person worship has now resumed, and the range of weekly attendance – 75 to 125 people – is close to pre-pandemic levels.“We’re still wearing masks, and the seating is still spread out,” Siegal said. “But our members love it.”Among Christians, the option of worshipping online has been embraced by many evangelical Protestants, according to the AP-NORC poll. About 3 in 10 have livestreamed services at least weekly in recent months, compared with about 1 in 10 Catholics or mainline Protestants.Three-quarters of evangelical Protestants say they pray privately at least weekly, compared with roughly half of mainline Protestants and Catholics, the poll found.Roughly a quarter of evangelical Protestants say they’ve recently talked by phone or video conference with a religious or spiritual leader at least a few times a month, compared with about 1 in 10 mainline Protestants and Catholics.Some faith leaders, such as Meredith Mills, see some positives, such as more energy in the church, even with fewer worshippers.“The ones showing up right now are the people who really want to be there,” she said. “There’s a lot of joy in the room Sunday mornings. It’s one of the reasons that, despite everything, I still love my job.”___

Across US, houses of worship struggle to rebuild attendance

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The U-Haul moving truck stolen on Christmas morning was located Saturday evening in Wabaunsee County, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ron Ekis. Police reported no additional details and have not reported an arrest.&nbsp;

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the theft of a U-Haul truck early Christmas morning.

Just after 4a.m. Saturday,&nbsp;a U-haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones. 

The victim is a family traveling with most of their belongings. Those belongings were in the truck at the time of the theft. The truck is a 2021 Ford F650 with Arizona tag:&nbsp;AK25435.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368- 9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443765750.png" alt="Possible depiction of vehicle-photo Topeka Police&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Possible depiction of vehicle-photo Topeka Police&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —The U-Haul moving truck stolen on Christmas morning was located Saturday evening in Wabaunsee County, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ron Ekis. Police reported no additional details and have not reported an arrest.&nbsp;----------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the theft of a U-Haul truck early Christmas morning.Just after 4a.m. Saturday,&nbsp;a U-haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones. The victim is a family traveling with most of their belongings. Those belongings were in the truck at the time of the theft. The truck is a 2021 Ford F650 with Arizona tag:&nbsp;AK25435.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443741162.png" alt="Image of the actual vehicle -photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Image of the actual vehicle -photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368- 9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785

Update: Police find U-Haul stolen with family's belongings 

NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">continued to cancel&nbsp;</a>hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">disrupted holiday celebrations</a>&nbsp;during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">Friday</a>. Over 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.

Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had all said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not immediately respond to questions Saturday.

According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the airline contacted customers on Friday. European and Australian airlines have also canceled holiday-season flights due to staffing problems tied to COVID.

FlightAware, which does not give a reason for why flights are canceled, said airlines scrapped nearly 6,000 flights globally on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as of Saturday afternoon, with almost one-third of affected flights to, from or within the United States. Chinese airlines made up many of the canceled flights, and Chinese airports topped FlightAware’s lists of those with most cancellations. China has strict pandemic control measures including frequent lockdowns, and the government set one on Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, earlier this week.

Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.

To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules&nbsp;</a>for health care workers only.

NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">omicron variant</a>&nbsp;jumbled schedules and drew down staffing levels at some carriers during the busy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">holiday travel season</a>.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines together canceled more than 600 flights on Friday and Saturday. As of early evening Friday, Delta canceled had 149 flights on Friday and 188 for Christmas Day, according to FlightAware. (Other factors, such as weather, are also causing cancellations.) United called off 189 flights on Friday, about 10% of its schedule, and 140 on Saturday. Planned cancellations continued into&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/plus2days" target="_blank">Sunday</a>.

Not all airlines said COVID was disrupting their travel schedules. American Airlines said it had “nothing to report,” while Southwest Airlines said “things are running smoothly.” JetBlue, which FlightAware said had canceled nearly 150 flights over Friday and Saturday, did not respond to a request for comment.

Flight delays and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-travel-air-travel-airlines-aadab96b3fc151d10cc9f4f58643acd7">cancellations</a>&nbsp;tied to staffing shortages have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-business-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-658f555ab74bdf9341ff761eff5bba63">regular problem</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.

“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”

Delta said it canceled flights Friday because of the impact of omicron and possibility of bad weather after it had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying.

The airlines both said they were trying to rebook passengers.

While some travelers canceled holiday plans because of rising case numbers, many others kept to their vacations during some of the year’s busiest travel days. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1472899834298441733?s=20" target="_blank">30 million people</a>&nbsp;from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, compared with nearly 44 million during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/10/tsa-screened-record-breaking-number-travelers-during-end-year" target="_blank">last holiday season</a>&nbsp;before the pandemic.

Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">Christmas holiday period</a>&nbsp;because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. The airline says it couldn’t speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.

Australian airline Jetstar said many of its workers had to test and isolate because of COVID spread, leading to last-minute delays and cancellations. It said it has rebooked the majority of passengers. FlightAware said Jetstar had 45 cancellations on Thursday and 34 on Friday.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today" target="_blank">FlightAware</a>, there are more than 3,900 canceled flights on Friday and Saturday, with close to half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines. About 30% of affected flights — more than 1,100 — were to, from or within the U.S. This is still a small fraction of global flights. FlightAware says it has tracked more than 100,000 arrivals in the past 24 hours.

Coronavirus infections fueled by the new variant have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-pandemics-london-7004e1f1b1847b9831623e6adcedb5f3">squeezed staffing</a>&nbsp;at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets and other critical operations that have struggled to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for health care workers</a>&nbsp;only.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640461231896.png" alt="Christmas Day flights leaving Kansas City-photo MCI" />
 <figcaption>Christmas Day flights leaving Kansas City-photo MCI</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">continued to cancel&nbsp;</a>hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">disrupted holiday celebrations</a>&nbsp;during one of the busiest travel times of the year.FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">Friday</a>. Over 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had all said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not immediately respond to questions Saturday.According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the airline contacted customers on Friday. European and Australian airlines have also canceled holiday-season flights due to staffing problems tied to COVID.FlightAware, which does not give a reason for why flights are canceled, said airlines scrapped nearly 6,000 flights globally on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as of Saturday afternoon, with almost one-third of affected flights to, from or within the United States. Chinese airlines made up many of the canceled flights, and Chinese airports topped FlightAware’s lists of those with most cancellations. China has strict pandemic control measures including frequent lockdowns, and the government set one on Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, earlier this week.Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules&nbsp;</a>for health care workers only.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640348190954.png" alt="Photo Denver International Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo Denver International Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">omicron variant</a>&nbsp;jumbled schedules and drew down staffing levels at some carriers during the busy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">holiday travel season</a>.Delta Air Lines and United Airlines together canceled more than 600 flights on Friday and Saturday. As of early evening Friday, Delta canceled had 149 flights on Friday and 188 for Christmas Day, according to FlightAware. (Other factors, such as weather, are also causing cancellations.) United called off 189 flights on Friday, about 10% of its schedule, and 140 on Saturday. Planned cancellations continued into&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/plus2days" target="_blank">Sunday</a>.Not all airlines said COVID was disrupting their travel schedules. American Airlines said it had “nothing to report,” while Southwest Airlines said “things are running smoothly.” JetBlue, which FlightAware said had canceled nearly 150 flights over Friday and Saturday, did not respond to a request for comment.Flight delays and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-travel-air-travel-airlines-aadab96b3fc151d10cc9f4f58643acd7">cancellations</a>&nbsp;tied to staffing shortages have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-business-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-658f555ab74bdf9341ff761eff5bba63">regular problem</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”Delta said it canceled flights Friday because of the impact of omicron and possibility of bad weather after it had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying.The airlines both said they were trying to rebook passengers.While some travelers canceled holiday plans because of rising case numbers, many others kept to their vacations during some of the year’s busiest travel days. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1472899834298441733?s=20" target="_blank">30 million people</a>&nbsp;from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, compared with nearly 44 million during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/10/tsa-screened-record-breaking-number-travelers-during-end-year" target="_blank">last holiday season</a>&nbsp;before the pandemic.Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">Christmas holiday period</a>&nbsp;because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. The airline says it couldn’t speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.Australian airline Jetstar said many of its workers had to test and isolate because of COVID spread, leading to last-minute delays and cancellations. It said it has rebooked the majority of passengers. FlightAware said Jetstar had 45 cancellations on Thursday and 34 on Friday.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today" target="_blank">FlightAware</a>, there are more than 3,900 canceled flights on Friday and Saturday, with close to half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines. About 30% of affected flights — more than 1,100 — were to, from or within the U.S. This is still a small fraction of global flights. FlightAware says it has tracked more than 100,000 arrivals in the past 24 hours.Coronavirus infections fueled by the new variant have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-pandemics-london-7004e1f1b1847b9831623e6adcedb5f3">squeezed staffing</a>&nbsp;at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets and other critical operations that have struggled to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for health care workers</a>&nbsp;only.___

Christmas flight cancellations drag on; airlines short-staffed

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two police officers from Wichita are being treated for injuries not considered life-threatening after being shot in the early hours of Christmas Day. 

Police were called around 1:30 a.m. for a report of domestic violence at an apartment. Police said that as the two officers made contact with a suspect, the man fired several shots. One officer was shot in the leg. The other was shot in the arm. 

Both were being treated at a hospital. A tactical team was called and the apartment was evacuated. The suspect was later found dead of what police called a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443673846.png" alt="The scene of the shooting early Christmas morning -photo by Shawn Loging courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The scene of the shooting early Christmas morning -photo by Shawn Loging courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two police officers from Wichita are being treated for injuries not considered life-threatening after being shot in the early hours of Christmas Day. Police were called around 1:30 a.m. for a report of domestic violence at an apartment. Police said that as the two officers made contact with a suspect, the man fired several shots. One officer was shot in the leg. The other was shot in the arm. Both were being treated at a hospital. A tactical team was called and the apartment was evacuated. The suspect was later found dead of what police called a self-inflicted gunshot wound.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

2 Kansas officers shot by suspect Christmas morning

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man is recovering after falling through ice while saving his dog at a lake. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the Papillion fire and police departments were called at 11:30 a.m. Friday after a 47-year-old man fell through the ice at Walnut Creek Lake. He was on the ice trying to rescue his dog, about 30 to 40 feet from shore. 

The man was able to rescue the dog, which walked back to shore, but in the process, the man fell through the ice. 

A Sarpy County deputy was in the area and arrived to assist the man using search and rescue equipment.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man is recovering after falling through ice while saving his dog at a lake. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the Papillion fire and police departments were called at 11:30 a.m. Friday after a 47-year-old man fell through the ice at Walnut Creek Lake. He was on the ice trying to rescue his dog, about 30 to 40 feet from shore. The man was able to rescue the dog, which walked back to shore, but in the process, the man fell through the ice. A Sarpy County deputy was in the area and arrived to assist the man using search and rescue equipment.

Nebraska man rescued after falling through ice while saving dog

One person was transported to the hospital after crashing while fleeing a traffic stop in Lincoln.

At approximately 12:50 a.m. Saturday, a trooper observed a Mercedes sedan driving with no license plates near 27th&nbsp;and Vine streets in Lincoln. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled northbound on 27th&nbsp;street. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle fled eastbound on Fair Street before turning northbound on 32nd&nbsp;street. The vehicle then stopped near 32nd&nbsp;and Leighton. As the trooper attempted to make contact with the driver, the driver accelerated and fled again. The Mercedes turned southbound onto 31st&nbsp;street and struck a parked car.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt. He was transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with life-threatening injuries. NSP has requested that the Lincoln Police Department investigate the crash. No others were involved in the crash. The entire pursuit lasted less than two minutes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640451469533.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolOne person was transported to the hospital after crashing while fleeing a traffic stop in Lincoln.At approximately 12:50 a.m. Saturday, a trooper observed a Mercedes sedan driving with no license plates near 27th&nbsp;and Vine streets in Lincoln. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled northbound on 27th&nbsp;street. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle fled eastbound on Fair Street before turning northbound on 32nd&nbsp;street. The vehicle then stopped near 32nd&nbsp;and Leighton. As the trooper attempted to make contact with the driver, the driver accelerated and fled again. The Mercedes turned southbound onto 31st&nbsp;street and struck a parked car.The driver was not wearing a seat belt. He was transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with life-threatening injuries. NSP has requested that the Lincoln Police Department investigate the crash. No others were involved in the crash. The entire pursuit lasted less than two minutes.

Driver seriously injured in crash during pursuit in Lincoln

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — City officials in Hastings have postponed a hearing on a proposed casino racetrack, saying the issue wasn’t ready for a vote. 

The Hastings Tribune reports that the Hastings Planning Commission pulled the proposal from its agenda on Tuesday on the advice of the city attorney. 

Commission Chairman Marshall Gaines says city officials sometimes aren’t able to fully vet the necessary details of a proposal in time to meet public notice requirements. 

State law requires public notice 10 days prior to a meeting. 

Gaines says the commission hopes to consider the proposal at another meeting in the near future after it’s fully reviewed.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — City officials in Hastings have postponed a hearing on a proposed casino racetrack, saying the issue wasn’t ready for a vote. The Hastings Tribune reports that the Hastings Planning Commission pulled the proposal from its agenda on Tuesday on the advice of the city attorney. Commission Chairman Marshall Gaines says city officials sometimes aren’t able to fully vet the necessary details of a proposal in time to meet public notice requirements. State law requires public notice 10 days prior to a meeting. Gaines says the commission hopes to consider the proposal at another meeting in the near future after it’s fully reviewed.

Hastings postpones hearing on proposed racetrack casino

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 54-year-old Iowa man has died in a Christmas Eve accident after his motorcycle crashed in Omaha. 

Police say Jamie Richardson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was exiting onto Interstate 80 around 3:20 p.m. Friday when the motorcycle left the on-ramp. Richardson was thrown from the motorcycle as it was traveling down an embankment. 

People who were passing by performed CPR until paramedics arrived. 

Richardson died later Friday while in surgery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1559617385052.png" alt="\" />
 <figcaption>\</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 54-year-old Iowa man has died in a Christmas Eve accident after his motorcycle crashed in Omaha. Police say Jamie Richardson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was exiting onto Interstate 80 around 3:20 p.m. Friday when the motorcycle left the on-ramp. Richardson was thrown from the motorcycle as it was traveling down an embankment. People who were passing by performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Richardson died later Friday while in surgery.

Iowa motorcyclist dies in crash on I-80 ramp in Omaha

WASHINGTON (AP) — So long eggnog, shrimp cocktail and pet-shaped sugar cookies.

It’s been a less merry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-jill-biden-bb6b63758f1992f887a148294dc9f655">holiday scene&nbsp;</a>at the White House this year under COVID-19′s shadow. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have replaced the packed parties and overflowing buffet tables of the past with food-free open houses, face masks and testing for the unvaccinated.

Beyond the impact on Biden’s first Christmas in office, the virus and its variants largely put the kibosh on the entire White House social scene for 2021, starting with an inauguration that positioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-inauguration-day-fabf334c9fd05dc020f468aa9e53bffe">flags in place of people</a>&nbsp;on the National Mall.

“I think it’s been really tough on them,” said Philip Dufour, who was Vice President Al Gore’s social secretary. He noted that many events were not held while the president and first lady did others over Zoom.

Major social events scrubbed from the calendar included the White House ball for the nation’s governors and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jill-biden-easter-coronavirus-pandemic-505b0e6942f9d550d5a7b6506f7ef3fa">Easter Egg Roll,</a>&nbsp;the second straight year that springtime ritual has been canceled.

The Democratic president also has yet to toast a foreign counterpart at a glitzy White House state dinner because he has yet to invite a world leader for a state visit. In fact, months passed before Biden was able to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-yoshihide-suga-xi-jinping-asia-e2ca86750edcc37c18c12bc41299a0e9">welcome a foreign leader to the Oval Office</a>&nbsp;for even lower-key talks.

Still, the White House managed to pull off some events despite the pandemic, such as bill-signing and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-joe-biden-middle-east-iraq-taliban-421a8fb798263fb184021caed972e131">Medal of Honor</a>&nbsp;ceremonies. The Bidens also hosted large receptions for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-jerusalem-israel-kamala-harris-b1da94bde38df785d91d00a7de5b7ecb">Hanukkah&nbsp;</a>and for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-joe-biden-entertainment-health-c54b29d117b7d53abf733b58cfdce601">artists recognized by the John F. Kennedy Center&nbsp;</a>for the Performing Arts.

But the pandemic’s biggest blow to the calendar came at Christmas, forcing the White House to overhaul its holiday entertaining — and trim the guest list.

“Anyone who knows the Bidens knows how much they enjoy hosting and celebrating the holidays,” Michael LaRosa, the first lady’s spokesperson, said in announcing a limited number of open houses for invited guests to ooh and aah over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-jill-biden-bb6b63758f1992f887a148294dc9f655">Christmas trees and other decorations</a>.

“It is disappointing that we cannot host as many people as the Bidens would like to, but as we have done since Day 1 of the Biden Administration, we will continue to implement strong COVID protocols, developed in consultation with our public health advisers,” LaRosa said.

In addition to fewer people passing through for the open houses, thousands of other people didn’t get a close-up look at how Jill Biden decked out White House hallways and public rooms for the holidays because public tours of the mansion remain on indefinite hold.

“The White House is never as beautiful as it is at Christmas. It’s just gorgeous,” said Jeremy Bernard, who oversaw holiday decorating and event planning as President Barack Obama’s social secretary. “It’s a shame that more people can’t go through, but it’s the reality of being in a pandemic.”

In part to make up for the lack of access, photos and an interactive tour of the decorations were uploaded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/holidays-2021/" target="_blank">White House website,</a>&nbsp;and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1471528084549607429?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted video</a>&nbsp;of herself describing the decor and theme in each of the rooms and public spaces.

She revived the long tradition — which had lapsed under the previous administration — of opening the executive mansion for the PBS series, “In Performance at the White House.” A holiday-themed installment aired Tuesday night featuring Andrea Bocelli, Billy Porter, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers and others performing from different rooms in the White House.

The first lady also taped a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYY7SWssnlo" target="_blank">children’s tour&nbsp;</a>of the White House with characters from PBS KIDS.

In pre-pandemic times, presidents and first ladies spent many December evenings in the run-up to Christmas hosting nearly two dozen holiday parties and receptions, sometimes two per day, where they stood in line for hours posing for photos with ecstatic guests.

Eggnog and adult beverages flowed freely, partygoers piled dinner plates with shrimp and cocktail sauce, and dessert tables offered cookies decorated in the image of White House dogs — some of which were slipped into purses and pockets for the trip home.

Instead, the Bidens invited groups of up to 100 people to holiday open houses, giving them half an hour — instead of the usual two — to tour the decorations on the ground and state floors. There was no food and drink. Nor was there picture-taking with the Bidens, who didn’t attend.

Guests had to attest to their vaccination status before showing up, wear a face mask at all times on the White House grounds and practice social distancing. Anyone not vaccinated had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the event.

The final open houses were held this week.

Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1471218139660800007?s=20" target="_blank">Marsha Blackburn,</a>&nbsp;R-Tenn., suggested on Twitter that the White House was guilty of hypocrisy with the open houses and shouldn’t have held them at all.

“The Biden White House’s decision to cancel their ‘holiday party’ and instead hold a ‘holiday open house’ tracks right along with the Democrats’ tendency to virtue signal while simultaneously creating loopholes for themselves,” Blackburn said in a written statement.

Jennifer Pickens, an event planner who wrote a book about Christmas at the White House, said holiday traditions can provide comfort and a feeling of normalcy, and argued that the White House should continue to welcome visitors during the pandemic.

Events “can be smaller in scale and done safely, but they need to continue,” she said in an email. Pickens said the White House is the People’s House, ”so the people should be there.”

Dr. Leana Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner, said the open houses seemed safe given the safety steps required by the White House and the absence of eating and drinking.

“That’s exactly the right thing to do,” Wen said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640405693790.png" alt="On Friday morning, the First Lady and the President stopped by the Children’s National Hospital to spread a little holiday cheer-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>On Friday morning, the First Lady and the President stopped by the Children’s National Hospital to spread a little holiday cheer-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — So long eggnog, shrimp cocktail and pet-shaped sugar cookies.It’s been a less merry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-jill-biden-bb6b63758f1992f887a148294dc9f655">holiday scene&nbsp;</a>at the White House this year under COVID-19′s shadow. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have replaced the packed parties and overflowing buffet tables of the past with food-free open houses, face masks and testing for the unvaccinated.Beyond the impact on Biden’s first Christmas in office, the virus and its variants largely put the kibosh on the entire White House social scene for 2021, starting with an inauguration that positioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-inauguration-day-fabf334c9fd05dc020f468aa9e53bffe">flags in place of people</a>&nbsp;on the National Mall.“I think it’s been really tough on them,” said Philip Dufour, who was Vice President Al Gore’s social secretary. He noted that many events were not held while the president and first lady did others over Zoom.Major social events scrubbed from the calendar included the White House ball for the nation’s governors and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jill-biden-easter-coronavirus-pandemic-505b0e6942f9d550d5a7b6506f7ef3fa">Easter Egg Roll,</a>&nbsp;the second straight year that springtime ritual has been canceled.The Democratic president also has yet to toast a foreign counterpart at a glitzy White House state dinner because he has yet to invite a world leader for a state visit. In fact, months passed before Biden was able to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-yoshihide-suga-xi-jinping-asia-e2ca86750edcc37c18c12bc41299a0e9">welcome a foreign leader to the Oval Office</a>&nbsp;for even lower-key talks.Still, the White House managed to pull off some events despite the pandemic, such as bill-signing and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-joe-biden-middle-east-iraq-taliban-421a8fb798263fb184021caed972e131">Medal of Honor</a>&nbsp;ceremonies. The Bidens also hosted large receptions for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-jerusalem-israel-kamala-harris-b1da94bde38df785d91d00a7de5b7ecb">Hanukkah&nbsp;</a>and for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-joe-biden-entertainment-health-c54b29d117b7d53abf733b58cfdce601">artists recognized by the John F. Kennedy Center&nbsp;</a>for the Performing Arts.But the pandemic’s biggest blow to the calendar came at Christmas, forcing the White House to overhaul its holiday entertaining — and trim the guest list.“Anyone who knows the Bidens knows how much they enjoy hosting and celebrating the holidays,” Michael LaRosa, the first lady’s spokesperson, said in announcing a limited number of open houses for invited guests to ooh and aah over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-jill-biden-bb6b63758f1992f887a148294dc9f655">Christmas trees and other decorations</a>.“It is disappointing that we cannot host as many people as the Bidens would like to, but as we have done since Day 1 of the Biden Administration, we will continue to implement strong COVID protocols, developed in consultation with our public health advisers,” LaRosa said.In addition to fewer people passing through for the open houses, thousands of other people didn’t get a close-up look at how Jill Biden decked out White House hallways and public rooms for the holidays because public tours of the mansion remain on indefinite hold.“The White House is never as beautiful as it is at Christmas. It’s just gorgeous,” said Jeremy Bernard, who oversaw holiday decorating and event planning as President Barack Obama’s social secretary. “It’s a shame that more people can’t go through, but it’s the reality of being in a pandemic.”In part to make up for the lack of access, photos and an interactive tour of the decorations were uploaded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/holidays-2021/" target="_blank">White House website,</a>&nbsp;and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1471528084549607429?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted video</a>&nbsp;of herself describing the decor and theme in each of the rooms and public spaces.She revived the long tradition — which had lapsed under the previous administration — of opening the executive mansion for the PBS series, “In Performance at the White House.” A holiday-themed installment aired Tuesday night featuring Andrea Bocelli, Billy Porter, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers and others performing from different rooms in the White House.The first lady also taped a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYY7SWssnlo" target="_blank">children’s tour&nbsp;</a>of the White House with characters from PBS KIDS.In pre-pandemic times, presidents and first ladies spent many December evenings in the run-up to Christmas hosting nearly two dozen holiday parties and receptions, sometimes two per day, where they stood in line for hours posing for photos with ecstatic guests.Eggnog and adult beverages flowed freely, partygoers piled dinner plates with shrimp and cocktail sauce, and dessert tables offered cookies decorated in the image of White House dogs — some of which were slipped into purses and pockets for the trip home.All of that was scrapped this year.Instead, the Bidens invited groups of up to 100 people to holiday open houses, giving them half an hour — instead of the usual two — to tour the decorations on the ground and state floors. There was no food and drink. Nor was there picture-taking with the Bidens, who didn’t attend.Guests had to attest to their vaccination status before showing up, wear a face mask at all times on the White House grounds and practice social distancing. Anyone not vaccinated had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the event.The final open houses were held this week.Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1471218139660800007?s=20" target="_blank">Marsha Blackburn,</a>&nbsp;R-Tenn., suggested on Twitter that the White House was guilty of hypocrisy with the open houses and shouldn’t have held them at all.“The Biden White House’s decision to cancel their ‘holiday party’ and instead hold a ‘holiday open house’ tracks right along with the Democrats’ tendency to virtue signal while simultaneously creating loopholes for themselves,” Blackburn said in a written statement.Jennifer Pickens, an event planner who wrote a book about Christmas at the White House, said holiday traditions can provide comfort and a feeling of normalcy, and argued that the White House should continue to welcome visitors during the pandemic.Events “can be smaller in scale and done safely, but they need to continue,” she said in an email. Pickens said the White House is the People’s House, ”so the people should be there.”Dr. Leana Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner, said the open houses seemed safe given the safety steps required by the White House and the absence of eating and drinking.“That’s exactly the right thing to do,” Wen said.

COVID-19 makes Biden's 1st White House Christmas less merry

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Just as Americans and Europeans were eagerly awaiting their most normal holiday season in a couple of years, the omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty — for travelers, shoppers, party-goers and their economies as a whole.

The Rockettes have canceled their Christmas show in New York. Some London restaurants have emptied out as commuters avoid the downtown. Broadway shows are canceling some performances. The National Hockey League suspended its games until after Christmas. Boston plans to require diners, revelers and shoppers to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, bars and stores.

A heightened sense of anxiety has begun to erode the willingness of some people and some businesses to carry on as usual in the face of the extraordinarily contagious omicron variant, which has fast become the dominant version of the virus in the United States.

Other people are still traveling, spending and congregating as they normally do, though often with more caution. Holiday air travel remains robust. Many stores and restaurants are still enjoying solid sales. And omicron has yet to keep audiences away from movie theaters in significant numbers. This past weekend, record audiences across all demographics flocked to theaters for the new “Spider-Man” movie.

“The movie theater has not yet been hindered by omicron,” said Steve Buck, the chief strategy officer of EntTelligence.

At the same time, no one knows yet what omicron will ultimately mean for the health of the Western economies, which have endured a wild ride of downturns and recoveries since early 2020.

“These mutations keep coming,” said Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance. “What is the probability that sometime we get a really nasty one? No one has any idea. This thing is mutating, and it’s very, very hard to say.’’

Will omicron cause outbreaks at factories and ports, disrupt operations and worsen supply chain bottlenecks that have forced up prices and contributed to the hottest U.S. inflation in decades?

Will it mean people will hunker down at home again and spend less on services — restaurant meals, concerts, hotel stays — which could weaken the economy but potentially defuse inflationary pressures?

Will return-to-office plans for white collar workers be put on hold indefinitely, deepening the hit to many cities’ downtown businesses?

Or will omicron prove a blip that scarcely slows what has become a surprisingly strong recovery from the short but intense pandemic recession?

Spooked by uncertainty and fear of the worst-case scenarios, stock markets around the world sold off for three days before rebounding Tuesday.

“We don’t know whether this is good or bad for growth or inflation in the medium term,” said Megan Greene, global chief economist at the Kroll Institute. “We just don’t have enough data yet.’’

Unable to assess its longer-term consequences, businesses, consumers and policymakers have struggled to respond to the omicron threat.

Danielle Ballantyne, a Chicago dietitian, had planned to visit some stores and seek inspiration for holiday gifts. But as omicron spread, she scrapped that idea in favor of staying home and shopping online.

“From what I have been hearing in the news,” Ballantyne said, “omicron is more contagious. So I am trying to be more selective in where I go in terms of big public spaces.”

At its stores in big cities like New York and Chicago, the clothier Untuckit is reporting a 15% drop in traffic, similar to what it experienced when the delta variant started spreading last summer.

“It impacts people’s perception of comfort and safety and their willingness to go out,” said Aaron Sanandres, CEO of the company.

As infections have spread, European countries have so far gone further than the United States, with restrictions ranging from a full lockdown in the Netherlands to indoor mask mandates in the United Kingdom.

A theater in western England refunded $240,000 in tickets. The Advantage Travel Group, which represents U.K. travel agents, said that business — flights, cruises and package holidays — plummeted fell 40% in mid-December from a month earlier. A diner in central Madrid absorbed cancellations for about half its booked space one week recently.

In London, downtown restaurants are suffering as office workers stay home.

“As soon as they said work from home, it’s completely emptied,” said Sally Abe, a chef at the Conrad Hotel in central London.

On Tuesday, Britain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-public-health-518704a0a2cc3aa95b32284b52dac6bf">announced that it would provide</a>&nbsp;1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in grants and other aid to help the hospitality industry survive omicron. The government bowed to pressure from pubs, restaurants and other businesses whose income has plunged in the aftermath of public health warnings.

Since the pandemic hit nearly two years ago, it has imposed one economic challenge after another. Economies all but shut down when the virus struck early last year. More than 22 million people in the United States alone lost jobs. Bars, restaurants and hotels were particularly devastated.

But record-high infusions of government spending and, eventually, the rollout of vaccines triggered an unexpectedly powerful recovery, giving many households the confidence and financial wherewithal to resume shopping. And it sparked optimism for the 2021 holiday season: In an updated forecast shortly before omicron emerged as a serious threat, the National Retail Federation said U.S. holiday sales were on track for a record-breaking year.

One fear now is that omicron infections will further disrupt manufacturing and shipping, worsen the supply chain backlogs and keep inflation simmering. It could also increase consumers’ already intensified demand for goods, which would magnify the supply shortages.

“If everybody is freaked out that going to a bar or restaurant is going to land them in a hospital, they may continue to buy goods,” said Greene, the Kroll Institute economist. “So that could exacerbate the short-term trend and make inflation worse.’’

On the other hand, she said, “if growth is really dampened (by omicron), that should take the heat off inflation.”

There are other reasons to think the recovery could decelerate. In the United States, economic aid from federal spending and relief checks is fading. The Federal Reserve is reducing its economic support. China’s economy, the world’s second-biggest after the United States, is slowing.

For now, the U.S. bond market is signaling more concern about economic weakness than about runaway inflation: The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note remains at historically low levels, below 1.5%.

Citing omicron and other factors, Oxford Economics has downgraded its estimate of U.S. economic growth for the October-December quarter to a 7.3% annual pace, down from an earlier 7.8% estimate.

“Omicron has been so rampant,” said Kathy Bostjancic, Oxford’s chief U.S. financial economist. “And it is hitting in high-density areas of the Northeast. We think it is going to take a pretty big toll on economic activity.’’

That said, it’s also possible that the economy will prove resilient against the latest challenge COVID has thrown at it. One measure of retail traffic shows that the new variant has made little difference — at least so far. For the week that ended Dec. 18, store traffic was up nearly 20% from a year earlier, though down 23% from the same week in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to Sensormatic Solutions. For the Black Friday that ended Nov. 27, sales were up 30% from last year.

Peter McCall, Sensormatic’s senior manager of retail consulting, noted that shoppers are still going to retail stores but are now favoring open-air shopping centers and outlet malls more than enclosed shopping centers.

Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp., the world’s leading cruise company, said this week that Carnival had experienced “a little spike” in cancellations but predicted that it would prove just a short term blip.

“The booking patterns are strong,” Donald said.

So is the traffic at some big retailers. Several hundred people lined up for the opening of the Toys R Us flagship store Sunday at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“We were prepared for a big day, but it was even bigger than we thought,” said Yehuda Shmidman, co-founder of WHP Global, which owns Toys R Us.

Abt Electronics in Chicago says it’s enjoying a strong holiday season so far, with sales up 10% from a year ago. But Jon Abt, co-president and a grandson of the company’s founder, said he’s noticed that omicron is changing how some people shop. Though fewer customers are entering stores, there’s increasing demand for curbside pickup.

He’s also made changes for workers designed to prevent the spread of COVID: He’s requiring them to stay at the counters or warehouses where they work instead of jumping back and forth to different workplaces.

“I am an optimist,” Abt said. “I am not a worrier. This is life. And you have got to roll with the punches.’’

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638148803210.png" alt="3D structure of spike with amino acid changes in Omicron -photo courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>3D structure of spike with amino acid changes in Omicron -photo courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Just as Americans and Europeans were eagerly awaiting their most normal holiday season in a couple of years, the omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty — for travelers, shoppers, party-goers and their economies as a whole.The Rockettes have canceled their Christmas show in New York. Some London restaurants have emptied out as commuters avoid the downtown. Broadway shows are canceling some performances. The National Hockey League suspended its games until after Christmas. Boston plans to require diners, revelers and shoppers to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, bars and stores.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640259572943.png" alt="Omicron found in most of the United States-map GISAID" />
 <figcaption>Omicron found in most of the United States-map GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>A heightened sense of anxiety has begun to erode the willingness of some people and some businesses to carry on as usual in the face of the extraordinarily contagious omicron variant, which has fast become the dominant version of the virus in the United States.Other people are still traveling, spending and congregating as they normally do, though often with more caution. Holiday air travel remains robust. Many stores and restaurants are still enjoying solid sales. And omicron has yet to keep audiences away from movie theaters in significant numbers. This past weekend, record audiences across all demographics flocked to theaters for the new “Spider-Man” movie.“The movie theater has not yet been hindered by omicron,” said Steve Buck, the chief strategy officer of EntTelligence.At the same time, no one knows yet what omicron will ultimately mean for the health of the Western economies, which have endured a wild ride of downturns and recoveries since early 2020.“These mutations keep coming,” said Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance. “What is the probability that sometime we get a really nasty one? No one has any idea. This thing is mutating, and it’s very, very hard to say.’’Will omicron cause outbreaks at factories and ports, disrupt operations and worsen supply chain bottlenecks that have forced up prices and contributed to the hottest U.S. inflation in decades?Will it mean people will hunker down at home again and spend less on services — restaurant meals, concerts, hotel stays — which could weaken the economy but potentially defuse inflationary pressures?Will return-to-office plans for white collar workers be put on hold indefinitely, deepening the hit to many cities’ downtown businesses?Or will omicron prove a blip that scarcely slows what has become a surprisingly strong recovery from the short but intense pandemic recession?Spooked by uncertainty and fear of the worst-case scenarios, stock markets around the world sold off for three days before rebounding Tuesday.“We don’t know whether this is good or bad for growth or inflation in the medium term,” said Megan Greene, global chief economist at the Kroll Institute. “We just don’t have enough data yet.’’Unable to assess its longer-term consequences, businesses, consumers and policymakers have struggled to respond to the omicron threat.Danielle Ballantyne, a Chicago dietitian, had planned to visit some stores and seek inspiration for holiday gifts. But as omicron spread, she scrapped that idea in favor of staying home and shopping online.“From what I have been hearing in the news,” Ballantyne said, “omicron is more contagious. So I am trying to be more selective in where I go in terms of big public spaces.”At its stores in big cities like New York and Chicago, the clothier Untuckit is reporting a 15% drop in traffic, similar to what it experienced when the delta variant started spreading last summer.“It impacts people’s perception of comfort and safety and their willingness to go out,” said Aaron Sanandres, CEO of the company.As infections have spread, European countries have so far gone further than the United States, with restrictions ranging from a full lockdown in the Netherlands to indoor mask mandates in the United Kingdom.A theater in western England refunded $240,000 in tickets. The Advantage Travel Group, which represents U.K. travel agents, said that business — flights, cruises and package holidays — plummeted fell 40% in mid-December from a month earlier. A diner in central Madrid absorbed cancellations for about half its booked space one week recently.In London, downtown restaurants are suffering as office workers stay home.“As soon as they said work from home, it’s completely emptied,” said Sally Abe, a chef at the Conrad Hotel in central London.On Tuesday, Britain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-public-health-518704a0a2cc3aa95b32284b52dac6bf">announced that it would provide</a>&nbsp;1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in grants and other aid to help the hospitality industry survive omicron. The government bowed to pressure from pubs, restaurants and other businesses whose income has plunged in the aftermath of public health warnings.Since the pandemic hit nearly two years ago, it has imposed one economic challenge after another. Economies all but shut down when the virus struck early last year. More than 22 million people in the United States alone lost jobs. Bars, restaurants and hotels were particularly devastated.But record-high infusions of government spending and, eventually, the rollout of vaccines triggered an unexpectedly powerful recovery, giving many households the confidence and financial wherewithal to resume shopping. And it sparked optimism for the 2021 holiday season: In an updated forecast shortly before omicron emerged as a serious threat, the National Retail Federation said U.S. holiday sales were on track for a record-breaking year.One fear now is that omicron infections will further disrupt manufacturing and shipping, worsen the supply chain backlogs and keep inflation simmering. It could also increase consumers’ already intensified demand for goods, which would magnify the supply shortages.“If everybody is freaked out that going to a bar or restaurant is going to land them in a hospital, they may continue to buy goods,” said Greene, the Kroll Institute economist. “So that could exacerbate the short-term trend and make inflation worse.’’On the other hand, she said, “if growth is really dampened (by omicron), that should take the heat off inflation.”There are other reasons to think the recovery could decelerate. In the United States, economic aid from federal spending and relief checks is fading. The Federal Reserve is reducing its economic support. China’s economy, the world’s second-biggest after the United States, is slowing.For now, the U.S. bond market is signaling more concern about economic weakness than about runaway inflation: The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note remains at historically low levels, below 1.5%.Citing omicron and other factors, Oxford Economics has downgraded its estimate of U.S. economic growth for the October-December quarter to a 7.3% annual pace, down from an earlier 7.8% estimate.“Omicron has been so rampant,” said Kathy Bostjancic, Oxford’s chief U.S. financial economist. “And it is hitting in high-density areas of the Northeast. We think it is going to take a pretty big toll on economic activity.’’That said, it’s also possible that the economy will prove resilient against the latest challenge COVID has thrown at it. One measure of retail traffic shows that the new variant has made little difference — at least so far. For the week that ended Dec. 18, store traffic was up nearly 20% from a year earlier, though down 23% from the same week in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to Sensormatic Solutions. For the Black Friday that ended Nov. 27, sales were up 30% from last year.Peter McCall, Sensormatic’s senior manager of retail consulting, noted that shoppers are still going to retail stores but are now favoring open-air shopping centers and outlet malls more than enclosed shopping centers.Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp., the world’s leading cruise company, said this week that Carnival had experienced “a little spike” in cancellations but predicted that it would prove just a short term blip.“The booking patterns are strong,” Donald said.So is the traffic at some big retailers. Several hundred people lined up for the opening of the Toys R Us flagship store Sunday at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.“We were prepared for a big day, but it was even bigger than we thought,” said Yehuda Shmidman, co-founder of WHP Global, which owns Toys R Us.Abt Electronics in Chicago says it’s enjoying a strong holiday season so far, with sales up 10% from a year ago. But Jon Abt, co-president and a grandson of the company’s founder, said he’s noticed that omicron is changing how some people shop. Though fewer customers are entering stores, there’s increasing demand for curbside pickup.He’s also made changes for workers designed to prevent the spread of COVID: He’s requiring them to stay at the counters or warehouses where they work instead of jumping back and forth to different workplaces.“I am an optimist,” Abt said. “I am not a worrier. This is life. And you have got to roll with the punches.’’

Omicron casts a new shadow over economy's pandemic recovery

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s message to the American people on confronting omicron comes with a heavy dose of cajoling, while some other countries are issuing edicts to their citizens as the new coronavirus variant takes over with breathtaking speed.

America’s polarized reaction to vaccines and masks, and its system of government in which states have broad authority over health matters, limit some of the options Biden can exercise — at least without igniting political flareups that could distract from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">urgency of his message.</a>

“What we have learned is politics matters,” said Jen Kates, who directs global health work for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “You would have expected us&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-5c8347295faecdef4d8a002a42d316ca">to weather the storm</a>, and we haven’t.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640115794186.png" alt="Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the president seemed to be taking pains to try to connect with viewers on TV. He avoided a catchphrase that he and other members of his administration have often used __ “pandemic of the unvaccinated” __ and instead tried to appeal to vaccine refusers as fellow Americans.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the president seemed to be taking pains to try to connect with viewers on TV. He avoided a catchphrase that he and other members of his administration have often used __ “pandemic of the unvaccinated” __ and instead tried to appeal to vaccine refusers as fellow Americans.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s message to the American people on confronting omicron comes with a heavy dose of cajoling, while some other countries are issuing edicts to their citizens as the new coronavirus variant takes over with breathtaking speed.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/95NfeWiJfRs?start=34" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>America’s polarized reaction to vaccines and masks, and its system of government in which states have broad authority over health matters, limit some of the options Biden can exercise — at least without igniting political flareups that could distract from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">urgency of his message.</a>“What we have learned is politics matters,” said Jen Kates, who directs global health work for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “You would have expected us&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-5c8347295faecdef4d8a002a42d316ca">to weather the storm</a>, and we haven’t.”“We are a big country, we are a complex country, and on every issue partisans are divided,” she said. “That, coupled with local control, and we end up with a disjointed response.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-france-d07f70cdb9d7046b0cfffa55d0a11a94">In France,</a>&nbsp;Prime Minister Jean Castex has banned public concerts and fireworks displays at New Year’s celebrations while calling on people to avoid large gatherings and limit the number of family members coming together for Christmas.In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government is advising citizens not to travel, backing that with a stiff warning that if they test positive abroad they won’t be able to get on a flight to return, and could be stranded.In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and state governors agreed on restrictions to take effect before the new year, including limiting private gatherings to 10 people, closing nightclubs nationwide and holding large events like soccer matches without in-person audiences.In the U.S., Biden has not issued fresh travel warnings nor urged the cancellation of public events. He stands by his workplace vaccine mandate, which is caught up in litigation. But he has held back from actions such as a vaccination requirement for air travel, which some public health experts have called for.Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the president seemed to be taking pains to try to connect with viewers on TV. He avoided a catchphrase that he and other members of his administration have often used __ “pandemic of the unvaccinated” __ and instead tried to appeal to vaccine refusers as fellow Americans.“I, honest to God, believe it’s your patriotic duty,” Biden said, urging the unvaccinated to get their shots.He even invoked his Republican predecessor. “Just the other day, former President (Donald) Trump announced he had gotten his booster shot,” Biden said. “It may be one of the few things he and I agree on.”To vaccinated Americans, the president’s message was a flashing yellow light to use caution and common sense as they go ahead with their holiday plans. To the unvaccinated, it was meant as a flashing red light to pause, take a good look, and reconsider their stance.“You have an obligation to yourselves, to your family,” said Biden.“Get vaccinated now,” he pleaded. “It’s free. It’s convenient. I promise you, it saves lives.”But it’s unclear what, if anything, will persuade some 40 million U.S. adults who remain unvaccinated.A Kaiser foundation poll out this week found that only about 1 in 8 unvaccinated adults said the emergence of omicron has made them more likely to get a shot.Earlier Kaiser polling highlighted the partisan and ideological splits. A survey last month found that 55% of unvaccinated adults are Republicans or lean to the GOP. That’s compared to 16% for the Democrats.A quarter of all Republicans say they will definitely not get a shot, compared to just 2% of Democrats who say the same.The U.S. under COVID is like two nations, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He’s not sure Biden’s message will connect with vaccine refusers.About two-thirds of Americans understand that vaccines can help them, Hotez said, but about one-fourth to one-third “are living under a rock.”While the White House is trying reach all Americans, “it comes out as very simplistic,” said Hotez.And Biden’s task of messaging is not going to get any less complicated.As omicron spreads, more vaccinated people are going to become infected because two shots alone do not appear to offer enough protection against getting sick. Even if vaccinated people avoid hospitalization, as the data indicate they generally can, a case of COVID disrupts family life and work routines. The sense of unease is underscored by news reports of well-known people such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-massachusetts-elizabeth-warren-congress-b1f5075f843f4d1fab21c268480d97d6">Sen. Elizabeth Warren</a>, D-Mass., contracting COVID though vaccinated and boosted.“Because omicron spreads so easily, we’ll see some fully vaccinated people get COVID, potentially in large numbers,” Biden acknowledged. “There will be positive cases in every office, even here in the White House ... among the vaccinated.”Yet his administration has not changed the definition of “fully vaccinated” from two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to three, as some public health experts have urged. With Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single dose vaccine, a booster is also recommended.But Biden, as of Tuesday’s speech, was still relying on persuasion.“People with booster shots are highly protected,” he said. “Join them. Join us.”___