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'We all want this to be over'

Laura L. Davis   | Paste BN
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Free rapid tests and help for overwhelmed hospitals are coming amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. And winter is here – with a bonus meteor shower.

👋 Heyo! Laura here on the shortest day of the year, bringing you Tuesday's short news.

But first, a beer a day keeps the doctor away? 🍻 A 107-year-old Pennsylvania woman spilled her secrets for a long life: faith in God, good genes and a Yuengling lager every day.

The Short List is a snappy Paste BN news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

Biden announces newest COVID-19 plans

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the purchase of a half-billion, at-home rapid coronavirus tests and the mobilization of 1,000 military medical personnel to overburdened hospitals, as officials confront a surge in infections driven by the omicron variant. The president unveiled the stepped-up measures in a speech from the White House to a nation fatigued by a pandemic that's lasted nearly two years. Americans will not be able to request the at-home tests online until January, meaning they can't access the kits before millions are expected to travel for Christmas. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the federal government is working through details of the program, including whether some groups would be prioritized. "I know you're tired. I know you're frustrated. We all want this to be over," Biden said. "But we're still in it. And this is a critical moment. But we also have more tools than we've ever had before."

What to do about the holidays

Worried about the surge? You aren't alone. As COVID-19 cases go up, Americans  wonder how to approach the holidays and safely travel and gather with friends and family. The pace of new cases in the USA is up 41% compared with a month ago, according to a Paste BN analysis of Johns Hopkins data. People who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they develop symptoms, the CDC says. They should still get tested five to seven days after their exposure and wear a mask in indoor public settings for 14 days after exposure or until they get a negative test result. For more tips, read here.

What everyone's talking about

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Jury resumes deliberations in Ghislaine Maxwell trial

The jury tasked with considering whether Ghislaine Maxwell is a dangerous predator who recruited teens to be sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein – as prosecutors put it – or the "innocent woman" a defense attorney described her as, continued deliberating Tuesday. Jurors received the case before 5 p.m. Monday after two prosecutors and a defense lawyer delivered their closing arguments over a six-hour period in Maxwell's sex trafficking trial. Two dozen prosecution witnesses testified, including the four women who say they were abused by Epstein with the help of Maxwell when they were teenagers. The defense rested its case Friday after Maxwell told the judge she wouldn't testify.

Shortest day, longest night

Welcome back, winter. The winter solstice, the precise moment at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, is Tuesday. It marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth. Here in the USA, that's 10:59 a.m. EST. Though the solstice marks the astronomical beginning of winter, meteorologists view winter as starting Dec. 1. At the end of the shortest day of the year comes the longest night – with an added bonus. An early Christmas gift will light up the sky in the last celestial event of the year – the Ursid meteor shower. With a bright moon in the background, the annual event is expected to peak Wednesday morning with five to 10 meteors visible per hour, according to NASA. Here's how to watch.

Real quick

🥗 Fridge check

Buy Fresh Express products? Check your refrigerator – there's been a recall. The company announced it recalled certain brands of its salad products for possible contamination with listeria. The recalled products were distributed through retailers in 19 states: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Fresh Express said it launched the recall after Michigan's Department of Agriculture received a positive result for listeria from a test of a package of 9-ounce Sweet Hearts salad mix.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

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