It’s Tuesday, December 14th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:
1) World Reacts To Omicron Variant
The Topline: The latest factor at the center of the COVID conversation is the Omicron variant, with some states and localities moving to reinforce existing policies, or add further restrictions.
Quote Of The Day: “I’m afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose, a booster dose, we can all bring our level of protection back up.”
– U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
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The U.S.
Largely in response to the omicron variant, New York has reimplemented a statewide mask mandate which requires masks in all indoor public spaces that do not require proof of vaccination for entry.
The state’s new governor, Kathy Hochul (D), announced the mandate last week, and it’ll remain in effect until mid-January when the state will “reassess.” Businesses that don’t comply will face civil and criminal penalties, including fines of $1,000 per violation, with local health departments enforcing the mandate directly.
New York City has additional policies, including requiring proof of vaccination to eat indoors at a restaurant or go to a movie theater.
United Kingdom
Omicron has prompted a wave of new restrictions in the U.K. where government ministers say they’re facing a “tidal wave” of Omicron infections. They confirmed the country’s first death of someone with the Omicron variant yesterday.
According to the government’s Health Secretary, there are 4,713 confirmed cases of Omicron in the U.K. and the daily number of overall COVID-19 cases in the country is around 200,000.
The United Kingdom has increased its COVID-19 alert level, and is joining the U.S. in pushing booster shots as a response.
Pfizer announced last week preliminary studies show three doses of their vaccine neutralizes the Omicron variant.
The Omicron Variant
Early data on Omicron seems to suggest symptoms may be less severe than other variants. The New York Times reported that researchers have reported that patients with the omicron variant “are much less sick than those they have treated before, and that other hospitals are seeing the same trends.”
According to the CDC, there were 43 cases of Omicron detected in the U.S. during the first eight days of December. Of the cases, 34 were fully vaccinated, and 14 had also received a booster shot. One of those infected with the Omicron variant was hospitalized for a brief time.
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2) 2021 Sees Record Number Of Police Deaths
The Topline: The United States saw a record-breaking number of police officers shot in the line of duty in 2021.
Quote Of The Day: “Overall disrespect for law and order, for law enforcement… is part of the reason, and a huge reason, why the finest among us — brothers and sisters, men and women, who put on that uniform — are being attacked for no reason other than simply standing for law and order.”
– Mark Nelson, president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police
Record Numbers
According to a report from the Fraternal Order of Police, 314 police officers were shot in the line of duty from January through November 30; and 58 cops died from their gunshot wounds, which is a 16% increase over pre-pandemic levels.
The report also noted there has been an increase in the number of criminals deliberately targeting police. Shooters have ambushed police officers 95 times this year, which is a 126% increase from 2020. 119 officers were shot, with ambushes claiming the lives of 28 law enforcement officers.
Since the report was published, four additional officers have died in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, including two gunshot victims: Officer Richard Houston II of Mesquite, Texas, and Constable Madison Nicholson of Wilcox County, Alabama.
Key Point: These numbers don’t include another 28 officers who died from stabbings, beatings, or vehicular assaults or the hundreds of others who died from accidents or other work-related issues while on the beat.
Potential Causes
A 2017 FBI study found that 28% of shooters who ambushed police “had a hatred of law enforcement” based on “what they heard and read in the media.” Assailants were “inspired by social and/or political reasons [and] believed attacking police officers was their way to ‘get justice’ for those who had been, in their view, unjustly killed by law enforcement.” Shooters in two cities also said they “were influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement, and their belief that law enforcement was targeting black males.”
Americans’ trust in police hit its lowest point last August. While it has improved, a July USA Today poll found only 1 in 5 Americans believes police officers treat suspects equally.
Another issue is the revolving-door system put in place by cities that have abolished cash bail. In some cities, criminals who assault police may be arrested and released within an hour.
Political leadership is also a factor. Some politicians adopted the “Defund the Police” slogan, or told police officers to stand down while arsonists set fire to police headquarters.
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3) Larry Nassar Victims Reach $380M Settlement
The Topline: After five years, the victims of former Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar have reached a settlement with USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic committee.
The Settlement
On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported the victims of former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar reached a settlement of $380 million, one of the largest settlements for sex abuse ever recorded.
Olympian Jamie Dantzscher was the first to file a civil lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) in September 2016. Five hundred others filed after Dantzscher’s lawsuit.
Insurers of USA Gymnastics and the USOPC will pay most of the settlement, but the USOPC will pay $34 million of its own money, according to The New York Times. The settlement also includes a restorative justice program giving the victims a say in how USA Gymnastics handles sexual assault allegations moving forward.
There are also non-monetary provisions, including “requirements for self-identified survivors of abuse in gymnastics to have official roles in USA Gymnastics.”
In May 2018, Michigan State University — which employed Nassar for decades — agreed to settle lawsuits from 332 women against Nassar for $500 million. According to the plaintiffs attorney, that settlement in addition to Monday’s $380 million settlement makes it the largest in a sexual assault case involving a single perpetrator.
The FBI
The news comes three months after gymnasts Simone Biles, Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney shocked Congress, revealing details of the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Nassar and blistering the FBI, which they say failed to act on repeated reports from gymnasts and may have covered up evidence of an abusive system.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing in September examining the FBI’s handling of the Nassar case, and Biles, Nichols, Raisman, and Maroney testified the FBI failed to act on their reports. The hearing came days after FBI agent Michael Langeman was fired for failing to pursue an investigation into the gymnasts’ claims. In July, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report criticizing Langeman — unnamed at the time — and his boss Jay Abbott for their handling of the Nassar case.
In 2015, Langeman interviewed Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney regarding her allegations about Nassar abusing her. The report by the inspector general stated Langeman and Abbot never “officially opened an investigation” and lied to investigators about their actions. The report stated Abbott — who’s retired — told the FBI to release false statements in 2017 saying his office “expeditiously responded” to the allegations against Nassar.
During the hearing, Raisman said it took over fourteen months for FBI agents to contact her after her report to USA Gymnastics and Nassar continued to sexually assault dozens of young women and girls during that time. Maroney also testified that the FBI made false claims regarding her story of abuse at the hands of Nassar.
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Other Stories We’re Tracking
Tragedy In Kentucky
At least 78 deaths have been confirmed as a result of tornadoes over the weekend. The worst hit state, Kentucky, sustained 64 confirmed fatalities, including six people under the age of 18. Governor Andy Beshear (D) described the storm as “the most devastating tornado event in [the] state’s history.”
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has refused to block New York State’s vaccine mandate for health care workers. The court was divided on the decision with Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Alito saying the court should have blocked the mandate which does not allow for religious exemptions.
Elon Musk
Billionaire Elon Musk has been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. According to Time, Musk was selected due to his outsized personal influence on humanity, and represents “the continuing decline of traditional institutions in favor of individuals.”