10 things you need to know today: December 22, 2021

Biden says U.S. will distribute free at-home COVID tests to help fight Omicron, Michael Flynn sues the Jan. 6 committee, and more

Joe Biden
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

1. Biden says government to distribute 500 million home COVID tests

President Biden on Tuesday unveiled his plans for fighting the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, saying his administration would buy 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests and send them to Americans free of charge. He also said the government would set up more vaccination and testing sites, and dispatch 1,000 military medical personnel to help overwhelmed hospitals manage a surge of infected patients. Biden also tried to comfort Americans frustrated after two years of the pandemic, with no end in sight. "We all want this to be over, but we're still in it," Biden said. Still, he said, vaccinated people should feel comfortable spending the holidays with friends and family. Health officials in Texas reported what was believed to be the first U.S. death from Omicron.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.