"We will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public and to protect our NHS"
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 20, 2021
PM Boris Johnson says data will be kept under constant review "hour by hour", as he urges people to "exercise caution" and get vaccinatedhttps://t.co/62xEa6fsuV pic.twitter.com/zbqeYQzoSq
PM's advice to the nation, as he finds himself stuck between scientific advice and Tory suspicion: "Please exercise caution as you go about your lives." 🎄
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) December 20, 2021
Guardian front page, Tuesday 21 December 2021: Covid surges, but cabinet split means no extra curbs – for now pic.twitter.com/TY4MzytoO2
— The Guardian (@guardian) December 20, 2021
depends what you mean by safe pic.twitter.com/zgTamTK0Lk
— Friend of Deep State 🐋 (@PickardJE) December 20, 2021
"We won't hesitate to take further action" to protect the NHS, says Boris Johnson, as he hesitates to take further action to protect the NHS. pic.twitter.com/hT9YGrfTPM
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) December 20, 2021
Boris Johnson: I can announce we won’t hesitate to take action, but right now we are hesitating to take action.
— Tom McTague (@TomMcTague) December 20, 2021
Hearing that Boris Johnson is considering going back to step 2 restrictions from Dec 27 – so POST Christmas – for a month to help curb infections.
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) December 20, 2021
Big caveat is that Govt scientists want him to act now – while some in Cabinet worried about further restrictions even later. pic.twitter.com/exg3SvtiZU
Looks like Boris Johnson's approval ratings are now in freefall. pic.twitter.com/1YEpHhMxdT
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) December 20, 2021
If Omicron doesn't cause a big surge in hospitalisations, Boris Johnson will face lots of criticism from his backbenchers for implementing Plan B.
— David Gauke (@DavidGauke) December 20, 2021
If Omicron does cause a big surge in hospitalisations, he'll now face lots of criticism from the public for dithering.
"He seems to have no personal ethics, morals, beliefs, value system. So I will be immensely happy to see the back of him, not just from being prime minister but out of the political arena altogether." @michaelsheen 👏 https://t.co/uYIY6oEABO
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) December 20, 2021
The Premier League has decided against postponing a full round of fixtures amid Covid-19 outbreaks at several clubs.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 20, 2021
After much deliberation, the Premier League has bravely decided not to risk irritating any of its broadcast partners. https://t.co/OKbCcwQYqw
— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) December 20, 2021
In South Africa, we’re thankfully seeing a striking decoupling between new Covid cases and ICU admissions and deaths. Whether #Omicron is inherently less virulent, whether this hopeful finding is result of baseline immunity in infected, or a combination of both, is still unclear. pic.twitter.com/xtmCSdpCNc
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) December 19, 2021
WHO urges cancelling some holiday events over Omicron fears https://t.co/a0DcaT4Sw4
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 20, 2021
Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, motility https://t.co/B2HMQtBBai pic.twitter.com/fTD9DtZ8sR
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 20, 2021
***
US wrestles with rapid spread
Europe gives US gloomy portrait of what's to come with omicron https://t.co/1T3lSphy9i pic.twitter.com/0nnFeXIxUU
— The Hill (@thehill) December 20, 2021
The truth is the truth. https://t.co/uUpRA9L13U
— Jeff Zients (@WHCOS) December 20, 2021
"Trump Dismisses COVID-19 Booster Shots As a 'Money-Making Operation'" https://t.co/EIGTCsPzYO
— Doc Gringo ☘️🇮🇪 (@Gatoram15) December 20, 2021
I think I have figured it out: Trump is suddenly promoting the vaccine because he’s worried about whether enough of his voters will still be alive in 2024 to make it to the voting booth! https://t.co/Vu8gNEelRN
— The Civil Liberal (@cfthepodcast) December 20, 2021
Israel bans travel to US, citing omicron https://t.co/BAHBPAq5Xn pic.twitter.com/0XeWrGRgj0
— The Hill (@thehill) December 20, 2021
Meanwhile…
EXCLUSIVE: Trump is increasingly agitated by the Jan. 6 committee, sources say, angry at Meadows for cooperating and anxious about criminal exposure as aides invoke the Fifth Amendment. @GuardianUS https://t.co/CZ4to6VKnR
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 20, 2021
Steve Bannon vowed this morning that he will one day soon take over the entire U.S. "election apparatus." https://t.co/tDW2L9i5xM
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) December 20, 2021
NEWS: Alex JONES is suing the Jan. 6 committee and has told them he plans to plead the 5th. https://t.co/8vW55vxbRD
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 20, 2021
Rep. Adam Kinzinger said "it’s possible" some of his GOP colleagues in Congress are responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and that the committee investigating the insurrection is not ruling out issuing subpoenas for sitting members of Congress. https://t.co/Jo6OVTEB9r
— ABC News (@ABC) December 20, 2021
After railing against the formation of the Jan. 6 Committee back in May, Sen. McConnell now says the committee’s findings are something the public needs to know. https://t.co/Axl7FkpMIF
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 20, 2021
and…
Scoop: Manchin's private $1.8 trillion offer to Biden included pre-k for 10 years, ACA expansion, & close to WH climate spending #, per sources
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) December 20, 2021
But it EXCLUDED the Child Tax Credit – cornerstone of WH child antipoverty effort, per sources
W/ @tylerpager https://t.co/01TTtM3t4g
With BBB delayed, Child Tax Credits will expire and student loans will restart within a matter of weeks. Working families could lose thousands of $/mo just as prices are rising.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 20, 2021
That alone is reason for @POTUS to act on student loans ASAP – w/ either moratorium or cancellation.
Sen. Manchin privately raised concerns that parents would use child tax credit checks on drugs, 3 sources familiar with the comments say. https://t.co/7c8fe7eSsY
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 20, 2021
Take the Manchin deal. Then see if you can negotiate the child tax credit separately with Romney, who has a good plan and wants to deal: https://t.co/4tUndXS29U
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) December 20, 2021
The Overnight Note 