Omicron Is Here: COVID-19 Variant Now In 13 U.S. States

ACROSS AMERICA — Good morning! It’s Sunday, Dec. 5. If it’s cold or snowy where you are and you’re not sure what to do, curl up on the couch and watch one of these new additions to Netflix. You could also catch up on the stories we’re following today:

• Hospitals are straining as COVID cases surge and omicron’s presence grows.
• The parents of the accused Oxford High School shooter are now in jail with their son.
• Think the weather is weird right now? You’re not alone.
• See the beautiful murals inspiring students at one California elementary school.

The omicron variant is here and public health officials say we’re already seeing the beginning stages of community spread.

New York announced three more cases Saturday. The number of states finding the variant is growing as well, with authorities in New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Massachusetts reporting their first confirmed cases this weekend, and Missouri reporting its first presumed case. The variant also has been detected in Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah.

Much remains unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it can thwart vaccines and whether it makes people as sick as the original strain.

"We knew the omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday. "We have the tools to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus: Get your vaccine, get your booster, and wear your mask." »More Omicron Cases Detected As Hospitals Strain Under New Surge, via Across America Patch

Oxford HS Shooting: Parents Plead ‘Not Guilty’

A judge imposed a combined $1 million bond Saturday for the parents of the Michigan teen charged with killing four students at Oxford High School, hours after police said they were caught hiding in a Detroit commercial building.

James and Jennifer Crumbley entered not guilty pleas to each of the four involuntary manslaughter counts against them during a hearing held on Zoom. Jennifer Crumbley sobbed and struggled to respond to the judge's questions at times and James Crumbley shook his head when a prosecutor said their son had full access to the gun used in the killings.

Judge Julie Nicholson assigned a bond of $500,000 apiece. »Oxford School Shooter's Parents Plead Not Guilty To All Charges, via Rochester-Rochester Hills, Michigan, Patch

RELATED: Is It Unusual To Charge Parents In School Shootings? AP Explains | Oxford School Shooting Victims Remembered At Vigil: Photos

Weird Weather Woes

America's winter wonderland is starting out this season as anything but traditional. The calendar says December but for much of the country temperatures beckon for sandals. Umbrellas, if not arks, are needed in the Pacific Northwest, while in the Rockies snow shovels are gathering cobwebs. Turns out a common meteorological phenomenon is behind the weird weather: La Niña. »Stuck Jet Stream, La Niña Causing Weird Weather: AP Explainer, via Across America Patch

A Christmas Comet’s Coming

It's time to start scanning the predawn sky to see comet Leonard, which astronomers expect to show off its tail as it comes closer to our planet and the sun in its eons-long orbit.

Because of the timing of its close approach, Leonard has been called the "Christmas comet." It will be closest to Earth on Dec. 12, but you may be able to spot it in the days before and after. »'Christmas Comet': How To Watch For Leonard And See Its Long Tail, via Across America Patch

Your Good News Fix

To cleanse your palate from this week's weird or tragic news, here's a generous selection of good news stories from across Patchland. From a "Golden Girls" festival to a $1 million lottery scratch-off ticket tucked inside a get-well card, these stories are sure to make you smile. » 11 Good News Stories: $1M Get-Well Card; Accidental Thanksgiving, via Across America Patch

More national headlines on Across America and other Patches:

• CNN Fires Chris Cuomo For Aiding Brother Andrew With Legal Woes
  
• Boulder Grocery Store Shooting: Alissa Incompetent To Stand Trial
• Biden Signs Stopgap Funding Bill To Keep Government Running
• Woman Breastfeeds Cat On Delta Airlines Flight, Reports Suggest
• Jobless Rate Sinks To 4.2% As Many More People Find Job
• What's New On Netflix: December 2021
• Best Holiday Gifts For Kids & Babies 2021

Around ‘The Patch’

• See The Murals Inspiring Students At This California Elementary School, via Culver City, California, Patch
• What's Going Around In CA? Stomach Bugs, COVID, Respiratory Virus, via Los Angeles Patch
• PA's 'Constitutional Carry': Lawyers, Law Enforcement Weigh In, via Across Pennsylvania Patch
• Needle Found Hidden On Gas Pump Handle In Chicago Ridge, via Oak Lawn, Illinois, Patch
• Ending HIV Epidemic In New Jersey? Here's The Plan, Officials Say, via Newark Patch

House Hunting

Traditional architecture meets modern living in this breathtaking Hewlett Bay Park, New York, home. Newly constructed, this home has six bedrooms, more than eight baths and a stunning in-ground pool.

This Day In History

In 1933, Utah became the 36th U.S. state to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition.

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