NEED TO KNOW

Victims in Michigan Shooting

Officials released further details yesterday surrounding a school shooting in a Detroit suburb that left at least four people dead and seven others injured. 

Those killed were identified as 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, and 17-year-olds Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Schilling. Myre was reportedly shot and killed while trying to disarm the shooter; he passed away in a police car en route to a hospital. Schilling died yesterday while in the hospital. Those injured included six students and one teacher—at least two are said to be in critical condition.

Officials identified 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley as the shooter—prosecutors brought a terrorism charge against Crumbley, on top of multiple counts of homicide and assault. Reports suggest he used a pistol purchased by his father the previous Friday. Police have not released a motive as of this writing.

MLB Lockout

Major League Baseball entered its first lockout in more than a quarter-century overnight, after owners and the players union failed to agree on an updated collective bargaining agreement. Coming in the middle of the offseason, it marks the ninth work stoppage in league history.

Contested issues include pay structure, restrictions around reaching free agency, and more. The lockout ends a decadeslong period of calm between both sides; the eight previous stoppages all occurred between 1972 and 1995. The 1994-95 lockout lasted more than seven months and resulted in the cancellation of the 1994 postseason.

Opening day for the 2022 season is slated for March 31.

Omicron in the US

The first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in the US was detected yesterday, found in a California patient who had returned from travel to South Africa Nov. 22. While the strain was first identified in South Africa, subsequent analysis revealed it had been circulating in Europe as early as mid-November.

The variant has around 50 mutations, including more than 30 on the virus' spike protein (see 101), the structure used to connect to human cells. Some of the individual mutations have been linked to decreased protection against general infection.

While South Africa has seen new cases spike by almost 1,000% since mid-November (see data), it is unclear whether the variant leads to an increased risk of severe illness or death. Currently available vaccines are being evaluated against the strain. Just over 24% of South Africa's population is fully vaccinated, compared to 60% in the US. 

Some scientists have speculated omicron may have initially developed within the system of an immunocompromised patient, where it could evolve with minimal interference from the body's immune system.

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LET'S TALK ABOUT COLLAGEN

Time to take notes: Today we're giving a crash course on collagen. Did you know that collagen makes up roughly 80% of your skin? It's what keeps your skin firm and hydrated. But as we age, collagen breaks down, leading to fine lines and wrinkles. Good thing there are so many expensive serums and moisturizers out there to restore collagen in our skin ... right?

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

In partnership with The Ridge

> Women's Tennis Association suspends all tournaments in China amid concerns over safety of Peng Shuai, who accused a former vice-premier of sexual assault (More)

> Alec Baldwin says he didn't pull the trigger on gun that discharged and killed "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (More) | Author Alice Sebold apologizes to man cleared last week after being falsely convicted of raping Sebold in 1981 (More)

> "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah tapped to return as host of 2022 Grammy Awards (Jan. 31, CBS) (More)

From our partners: Look no further for the perfect gift for him. More than 40,000 five-star reviews make The Ridge a surefire gift for the holidays. They've hand-picked new releases and premium materials so you can give those on your list—and yourself—the perfect gift this year. Ultra-sleek wallets, key cases, pens, backpacks, you name it. Get up to 40% off today, and take 15% off sitewide with code HOLIDAY15.

Science & Technology

> Melanoma-fighting bacteria found inside a species of Antarctic sea squirt; discovery opens a path to synthetic production of anticancer compounds (More)

> South American discovery reveals an ankylosaur specimen with a bladed tail club never before observed in the fossil record (More)

> New study links variations in the Earth's orbit over the course of hundreds of thousands of years with diversity in phytoplankton; research is one of the first to suggest Earth's orbit influences biological evolution (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets fall (S&P 500 -1.2%, Dow +-1.3%, Nasdaq -1.8%) on growing omicron fears as first case arrives in the US (More)

> Payments giant Square to change its corporate name to Block as it expands focus on new technologies such as blockchain; CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down from CEO role at Twitter earlier this week (More) | Commonwealth Fusion Systems announces $1.8B financing to commercialize fusion energy (More) 

> Treasurers from six US states pressure gaming giant Activision Blizzard to take action regarding widespread sexual harassment allegations at company (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Supreme Court hears arguments in case over Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, the first abortion case heard by the court since it shifted to a 6-3 conservative majority; a decision is expected by late June (More)

> Stacey Abrams launches Democratic bid for governor in Georgia; Abrams lost to current incumbent Brian Kemp (R) by 1.4 points during a 2018 bid (More)

> Jan. 6 committee votes to refer former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark for contempt charges after Clark refused to produce requested documents (More) | Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows says ex-president tested positive, then negative, for COVID-19 ahead of first debate with Joe Biden; Trump denies claims (More)

IN-DEPTH

State of Hope

Denver Post | John Ingold. Hundreds of families have relocated to Colorado, desperately hoping the state's medical marijuana laws will provide a cure for their children's seizures. (Read)

'It's So Hard and So Challenging'

Hechinger Report | Staff. Teachers, parents, and administrators give an oral history of educating during the pandemic. (Read)

SMALLER IS MIGHTIER

In partnership with Droplette

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Collagen is 300 times too large to be absorbed by the skin. Unless, that is, you have a Droplette device. Droplette makes ingredient droplets tiny and fast, helping them be absorbed 20 times deeper into the skin than traditional serums or moisturizers, so you can see fast results that actually do some good. Check out the award-winning, NASA-backed technology today—and access their Cyber Week Deal, for 40% off devices with code 1440VIP.

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ETCETERA

A chaotic year in photos. (via The Associated Press)

Tel Aviv is now the world's priciest city.

Forbes 30 Under 30: Look closely and you may find a 1440 team member.

A lock of George Washington's hair goes up for auction.

World War II bomb detonates, disrupts trains in Munich.

Man recovered in miracle rescue after 22 hours off Japan's coast.

Drilling Antarctica's oldest ice.

The country's highest observation decks.

Clickbait: Police take hamster into protective custody.

Historybook: RIP abolitionist John Brown (1859); US Environmental Protection Agency formed (1970); HBD Britney Spears (1981); Benazir Bhutto becomes first female prime minister of Pakistan (1988); Colombia drug lord Pablo Escobar is killed (1993).

"To make peace, one must be an uncompromising leader. To make peace, one must also embody compromise."

- Benazir Bhutto

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