
Analysis: Did the press overhype the danger posed by the Omicron variant?
CNN
A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter.
When news of Omicron emerged over the Thanksgiving holiday, media organizations scrambled to cover the new variant and what it might mean for the world. The problem, however, was that very little was known about it at the time. And so, the absence of data created a void that was quite unfortunately filled with a lot of speculation.

Another conference call. This was what strategy looked like on Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign: A small circle of aides and advisers listening to longtime aide Melissa DeRosa, who denied working on his campaign in public but whom all involved knew was running things, as she pressed them about early voting numbers showing the Zohran Mamdani surge was real.

The area of the rural Cascades near Leavenworth, Washington, is so majestic, they call it the Enchantments. Cold, clear water from the wilderness lakes flows into Icicle Creek, where it rushes over sparkling rocks. But the tranquil beauty that draws campers and hikers from all over the country was shattered a month ago by the murders of three little girls only yards from the creek.