Pulling 'no punches' against COVID-19
President Biden shared his strategy to battle COVID-19 this winter. A controversial Trump-era program is set to restart. And the House passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown.
👋 Happy Thursday! It's Julius with today's news.
But first, the largest comet of the years is approaching. ☄️ Here's how you can see Leonard.
The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.
Biden unveils COVID-19 winter plan
President Joe Biden announced his strategy to combat the evolving coronavirus Thursday, highlighting tighter travel rules, free at-home tests and booster shots. Biden said his plan to get through the winter months is one that "pulls no punches in the fight against COVID-19." The president emphasized that he was not expanding or adding vaccination requirements as the federal courts review his previously announced rules for health care workers and employees of larger companies.
Confirmed U.S. cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus rose Thursday after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said five have been identified in her state. "Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread,'' Hochul said in the tweet. The variant's presence in the country was first reported Wednesday with a case in San Francisco. The second and third known instances were confirmed earlier Thursday. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted a midday alert saying omicron as been found in the state.
The White House is making at-home coronavirus testing free: Here's what travelers should know
President Biden: My winter plan fights COVID with testing and vaccines and without lockdowns | Column
'Remain in Mexico' program set to restart
The Biden administration said Thursday Mexico agreed to cooperate on restarting the Migrant Protection Protocols policy as long as the United States takes steps to address Mexico's human rights concerns with the Trump-era program. Also known as the "Remain in Mexico" program, the measure forces asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they await U.S. immigration proceedings. Changes to the program before it is reimplemented would include providing COVID-19 vaccinations for migrants and committing to concluding proceedings within six months of an individual's return to Mexico. Though the Biden administration seeks to end the program, it was forced to restart the program to comply with a court order.
Biden said he wanted to end the Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy. So why is he restarting it?
What everyone's talking about
Waukesha Christmas parade suspect says he's being 'treated like a monster.'
Symone Sanders, VP Kamala Harris' chief spokesperson, will leave White House amid staff shake-up.
A 17-year-old girl was having a seizure. Police shocked her with a Taser.
Pete Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker and the obsession with their relationships.
The man who threatened to hang lawmakers if they didn't 'get behind' Trump sentenced to prison.
The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.
House passes bill to avoid a government shutdown, sending measure the Senate
The House passed a bill Thursday to fund the government through Feb. 18 as Congress tries to stave off a shutdown that could happen Friday if lawmakers don’t act. The temporary spending bill will now head to the Senate, where it will need to pass by Friday night to avoid a shutdown, which would result in the furlough of thousands of workers. The bill could face complications in the Senate, where a group of Republicans were threatening to delay passage of the bill in the upper chamber because they wanted language in the bill that would prevent the use of federal money to carry out a Biden administration mandate on workplace vaccinations.
Victims of Michigan shooting were honor student, athletes and artist
Authorities identified the victims of the shooting at Oxford High this week as Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17. Myre was remembered as a standout football player being recruited to play in college and an honor student. Baldwin was an aspiring artist and a "smart, sweet loving girl," her grandmother wrote on a GoFundMe. St. Juliana “was one of the happiest and most joyful kids,” her father said. Shilling was on the golf and bowling teams. He was "simply a pleasure to be around," Anita's Kitchen, a Middle Eastern restaurant where he worked, posted on Facebook.
Real quick
Cris Collinsworth could make $12.5 million per season for 'Sunday Night Football.'
Britney Spears turns 40! See the most iconic moments of her career.
Watch Tiger Woods swing away in new video, adding fuel to PNC Championship speculation.
Burger King celebrates 64 years of the Whopper with 37 cent throwback deal Friday, Saturday.
A surgeon amputated the wrong leg of an elderly patient. She was fined less than $3,100
Did multiple types of early humans coexist? A study (and 👣) suggest so
A set of footprints found in Tanzania from millions of years ago have long been thought to belong to a bear, but researchers have discovered they actually belonged to an ancient human species, suggesting there may have been more than one early human species existing at the same time. Ellison McNutt, the lead author of the study published in the journal Nature, says the cross-stepping prints indicate they are from hominins – ancestors of humans. As hominins evolved, hip muscles allowed them walk on two legs and maintain enough balance to cross-step in a way bears or chimpanzees cannot.
A break from the news
💰 Bonds aren't sexy, but this inflation-protected instrument pays 7%
🏠 Holiday-themed homes for rent: Would you stay in the 'Home Alone' house or Grinch's Cave?
📱 Planning to trade in your iPhone or Android phone? Take these steps first.
This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown looms, Symone Sanders, Biden's COVID-19 plan. It's Thursday's news.