Domestic 

According to the Los Angeles Times, the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has reached the United States. A California resident said she was going back home to San Francisco after being in South Africa. The Los Angeles Times reported that the individual was fully vaccinated and only experienced mild symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that all close contacts have tested negative so far. 

NPR reported that Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old boy, was charged with murder, terrorism and other counts for the shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School that killed four fellow students. The prosecutor, Karen McDonald, told NPR that she is “confident” that they can prove that the crime was premeditated. 

International 

In a ceremony on Monday evening, Barbados officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and inaugurated its first President. Sandra Mason—the 73-year-old former representative for the Queen—was inaugurated 55 days after Barbados declared its independence from Britain. Prince Charles attended the ceremony to show the crown’s support, but CNN reported heavy opposition from Barbados activists due to the island’s slavery-ridden past relationship with the crown. 

The Guardian reported on Wednesday that the European Union has announced a plan to invest €300 billion into global infrastructure. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised that the initiative will be better than China’s belt and road initiative. The plan, as von der Leyen told The Guardian, is to offer an alternative from China’s project for countries to invest in.