Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and here’s a special surprise for readers of the Rundown! The “Take It W B-Easy” shirt is on sale now at WBEZ’s pop-up store. But it’s only available today, so act fast! Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Omicron is “a cause for concern — not a cause for panic,” Biden says

President Joe Biden said today he is not considering widespread “shutdowns or lockdowns” amid concerns over omicron (pronounced OH-ma-cron), a new coronavirus variant that has a high number of mutations. The president is instead prioritizing vaccines and urging the unvaccinated to get their shots as soon as possible.

“If people are vaccinated and wear their mask, there’s no need for a lockdown,” he said.

There are currently no known infections of omicron in the U.S., but Biden and several health officials say it’s only a matter of time before cases pop up.

Biden said scientists do not think extra measures will be needed to fight omicron, but he added that his administration was working with vaccine manufacturers to develop vaccines or boosters against the variant if needed.

In the coming weeks, scientists around the world hope to answer three big questions. How easily does this new strain spread? Does omicron cause more severe illness? And how effective are current COVID-19 vaccines against it? [NPR]

In South Africa, where omicron was first identified, patients showed mild symptoms that resembled normal viral infections, said one of the first doctors who alerted officials about the possibility of a new strain. [Reuters]

2. The Supreme Court will hear the most important abortion rights case in a generation this week

The nation’s high court on Wednesday will hear a case seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision establishing a constitutional right to an abortion. The case concerns a 2018 law in Mississippi that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, well before viability.

Both sides of the debate over abortion say the Supreme Court has no middle ground in this case. The court could simply uphold the Mississippi law without revisiting Roe, but supporters of abortion rights say that would amount to overturning the 1973 ruling.

Wednesday’s hearing comes before a Supreme Court with a 6-3 conservative majority.

The court is also weighing a separate case over a Texas abortion law. But that dispute is centered around who can challenge the law in court. The Texas law allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs or aids and abets a restricted procedure. [AP]

3. The trial of Jussie Smollett begins this week

Jury selection began today in Chicago for the trial of former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, nearly three years after he was accused of staging his own hate crime.

The case against Smollett has taken many twists and turns. Cook County prosecutors in 2019 dropped the charges against the actor, resulting in a firestorm of criticism. Another investigation took place and resulted in new charges. Here’s a timeline from WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell to help readers get up to speed on the Smollett saga. [WBEZ]

Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct, a crime that carries a sentence of up to three years in prison. Legal experts say it is more likely Smollett would be placed on probation if he is convicted.

At the center of the case are two brothers who say they carried out an attack on Smollett at the actor’s behest. [AP]

4. Jack Dorsey steps down as CEO from Twitter

Dorsey, whose name has become synonymous with Twitter, will step down from leading the social media platform he founded in 2006. Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s chief technology officer and a 10-year veteran of the company, will replace him.

The surprise announcement comes as Twitter faces criticism for its slow pace of innovation compared to competitors like Facebook and TikTok.

And it comes as social media companies are under more scrutiny from politicians, with Democrats complaining about the spread of disinformation and Republicans accusing the companies of unfairly silencing conservative voices.

Dorsey will remain the CEO of Square, the financial payments company he founded in 2009. He will also stay on Twitter’s board of directors until May of next year. [NPR]

5. Prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights in Illinois will retire from the state legislature

House Majority Leader Greg Harris announced today he will not seek reelection after 15 years of serving as a state representative, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

“There is much more to accomplish and we have a young, diverse group of leaders who are ready to take the reins and lead,” Harris said in a statement. “It’s time to give them the opportunity to do so.”

Harris was the chief sponsor of legislation that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the state in 2014. Recently, he sponsored legislation that allows transgender Illinois residents to correct their birth certificates.

Harris is the first openly gay member of the legislative leadership team. [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell began today. She is accused of helping disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein exploit and abuse multiple girls. [NPR]
• Tributes pour in for Virgil Abloh, a Chicago fashion designer who became the first Black artistic director for Louis Vuitton. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• A massive snowstorm trapped dozens of strangers at a U.K. pub. Luckily there was an Oasis tribute band. [NPR]
• The Merriam-Webster word of the year is “vaccine.” [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Some good news for Spider-Man fans. Actor Tom Holland will continue playing the wall-crawling superhero for at least three more movies after the highly anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home, producer Amy Pascal said in an interview published today.

Spider-Man: No Way Home, out Dec. 17, is the third movie made under a unique partnership between Marvel and Sony, which owns the film rights to the web head.

This arrangement has caused some heartburn for fans. A few years ago, the future of the Holland-era of Spider-Man appeared to be dead when Sony and Marvel hit an impasse. Then this month, Holland suggested in an interview that his days in tights were numbered.

“This is not the last movie that we are going to make with Marvel — [this is not] the last Spider-Man movie,” Pascal said. “We are getting ready to make the next Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Marvel. We’re thinking of this as three films, and now we’re going to go onto the next three.” [Hollywood Reporter]

Tell me something good …

As the end of the year approaches, I’m seeing more and more “best of 2021” lists. So I’d like to know, what was the best movie, book, TV show, play or video game you enjoyed this year?

I loved WandaVision, it’s journey through different eras of TV shows and Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness. You can’t go wrong with witches.

But I was also glued to Only Murders in the Building. The team-up of Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez was fun at every turn.

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah, and your responses might be shared here this week.

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