| Good morning. It's Tuesday, Dec. 21, and our reporters spent an hour yesterday answering omicron questions about travel, testing and more. You can take a look here. Let's get to today's updates. |
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| Omicron is dominating new U.S. coronavirus infections. - The variant made up 73% of cases reported last week, according to the CDC, which shows how contagious it is.
- Coming today: President Biden will announce a plan to give away a half-billion rapid tests starting next month and offer support for overwhelmed hospitals.
- Testing will be key, especially this holiday week, so we've got tips on how to use at-home kits.
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| The "most serious" security breach ever is unfolding right now. - What's happening: Experts discovered a vulnerability in a very widely used section of computer code called log4j.
- Google, Amazon and Microsoft, which provide the digital backbone for millions of apps, are affected, as well as giant software companies and smart TVs.
- What's being done? Fixes are slowly being made, but this could be a problem for years. The best thing you can do is keep your apps updated.
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| Shooting threats have been forcing schools to close. - More than 150 threats surfaced nationwide in the week after the mass shooting at a Michigan high school last month.
- The challenge: It's hard to tell which are real and which are fake (like a hoax that spread on TikTok last Friday), experts say.
- The impact: Schools, many of which are now on winter break, have to balance safety while making sure kids can still learn.
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| Wyoming has become one of the world's top tax havens. - Why? A coveted financial arrangement is protected by some of the strongest privacy laws in the U.S.
- How it works: Wyoming lets private family-run companies control trusts. Then, people can establish a second company inside those trusts where they can stash things like yachts, planes and cash.
- The result: Extraordinary secrecy that lets the world's wealthy move and spend money, in some cases, completely without oversight, as revealed in the Pandora Papers investigation.
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| The NHL paused its season because of rising covid cases. - Facilities will be closed tomorrow through Saturday, with games set to start again Monday.
- The hockey league had already pushed back many games and scrapped travel between the U.S. and Canada.
- What this means: NHL players may have to skip the Beijing Winter Olympics to complete the season. A final decision is expected soon.
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| New cars and SUVs will have stricter emissions limits. - The standards: By 2026, new models would get an average of 40 miles per gallon.
- The rule will prevent an estimated 3.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades, the EPA said.
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| Most of the U.S. can expect a warm Christmas. - The forecast: Highs, particularly in the Midwest, could be 30 degrees or more above normal by the end of the week.
- On the West Coast: Heavy rain, strong winds and many feet of snow are expected this week, which could affect holiday travel.
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. But before you go … if you're looking for last-minute gift ideas, we've got you covered with some creative and meaningful suggestions.  (Jordan Robertson for The Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. |
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