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Two cases of the newly identified omicron variant have been identified in Ontario, Canada, the U.S. is putting travel restrictions in place starting Monday. The trial of of Jeffery Epstein's alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is set to begin in a Manhattan federal court. And, legendary Black designer Virgil Abloh died on Sunday in Chicago after a two-year battle with a rare heart cancer.

CTE — chronic traumatic encephalopathy — is a degenerative brain disease found in many former professional football and hockey players, for whom blows to the head have long been part of the job.But those injuries also occur outside the world of pro sports. And as awareness of CTE has grown, so has a thriving market of dubious remedies marketed to everyday people who believe they are suffering from CTE — a disease that can't even be diagnosed until after death, through an autopsy of the brain. Sacha Pfeiffer of NPR's Investigative Team reports on some of those desperate patients and their search for a cure.

A new coronavirus variant out of South Africa called Omicron has been designated by the World Health Organization as a "variant of concern." In response, Friday saw a massive selloff on Wall Street — a phenomenon that extended to Europe and Asia as well. And a titan of American musical theater, Stephen Sondheim, has died at age 91.

The World Health Organization evaluates a new COVID-19 variant, while the delta strain surges in other countries. Diplomats trying to revive a nuclear deal with Iran face new demands and a harder line from Tehran. Plus, holiday shopping could set records, despite inflation, shipping crises, and retail hiring struggles.

Three men found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia now face federal hate crime charges and possible life prison terms. An estimated 160,000 active military service members and their families have trouble putting food on the table. And mass protests in Sudan demand a return to full government control by civilians.

A jury in Charlottesville, Virginia finds white nationalists and neo-Nazis liable for millions in damages from the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Jurors in Ohio determine that three of the country's biggest pharmacy chains helped fuel the opioid crisis. And what can Thanksgiving holiday travelers do to cope with what could be the biggest airport crowds in two years?

Waukesha, Wisconsin mourns five who died when an SUV struck the city's Christmas parade. Lawmakers react to President Biden tapping Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for a second term. And Austria becomes the first European country to impose a new national lockdown to fight surging COVID infections.

At least five are dead and more than 40 are injured after an SUV sped through a holiday parade and struck dozens of people, including children, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Closing arguments are set for today in the Georgia trial of three white men charged with murdering Ahmaud Arbery. And experts advise how to gather and travel safely for the holidays, even as COVID cases climb.

More than a third of the goods that the United States imports comes through the Ports of LA and Long Beach. So what happens when shipping backlogs mean that ships have to idle just outside those ports? And what can be done to solve the problem? Planet Money takes a trip to three ports around the U.S. to investigate what broke the global supply chain and how the ports are working to clear the bottlenecks.

Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people and wounded a third last year amid violent protests over police conduct, has been acquitted of all charges. COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available to all adults. And after months of arduous negotiation, House Democrats finally approved President Biden's social and climate spending bill, which now goes to the Senate.

Every adult in the U.S. could be eligible for a COVID vaccine booster within days. Democrats open a cross-country blitz to promote President Biden's vision for spending on everything from childcare to climate. And U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opens a visit to Africa against a tumultuous backdrop of war in Ethiopia and the aftermath of a coup in Sudan.

The White House says President Biden raised human rights concerns while setting "guardrails" during a three-hour virtual summit with China's Xi Jinping. Ex-White House adviser Steve Bannon remains defiant in the face of federal contempt charges for ignoring a subpoena from Jan. 6 investigators. And Cuba's government cracks down on dissidents who tried to organize widespread demonstrations.

The White House says today's virtual summit between President Biden and China's Xi Jinping will balance competitive and common interests. COP26 is over, but not all climate delegates are happy with the outcome. And U.S. Catholic bishops are set to debate whether Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights should be denied communion.

Thousands of youth activists from all over the world gathered in Scotland this week for the COP26 UN climate summit. They say climate change is already transforming their countries — and that their generation has the most to lose if greater action isn't taken. In this episode of Consider This, Host Ari Shapiro speaks to some of those activists in Glasgow.

Steve Bannon has been indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House panel investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol. The controversial conservatorship that has controlled pop star Britney Spears' person and estate for 13 years has been terminated by a judge. And inflation last month hit its highest point in more than three decades.

COP26 summit diplomats confront sticking points to try to forge a global agreement on action to slow climate change. China's Communist Party declares President Xi Jinping a "helmsman" for its economic and strategic power. And an end to Britney Spears' 13-year-long conservatorship could be decided at a hearing in Los Angeles.

President Biden applauds the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan as a tool to open shipping bottlenecks and ease economic headwinds. A federal judge overrules a ban on COVID-19 mask mandates in Texas schools. And Kyle Rittenhouse testifies that he feared for his life when he shot and killed two people last year during protests in Wisconsin.

A federal judge rejects former President Donald Trump's request to keep White House documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Poland deploys troops and accuses Belarus of orchestrating a crisis at E.U. border crossings. And as the conflict in Ethiopia escalates, the U.S. calls the reported detentions of at least 16 U.N. staff members "concerning."

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenas documents and testimony from six more Trump allies. Climate change accelerates India's environmental challenges. And the Supreme Court hears cases on the death penalty and constraints on federal benefits for U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico.

Climate advocates and protesters are calling for stronger action at U.N. climate summit in Scotland. Officials investigate what caused a rush to the stage in which eight people died at a Houston music festival. And the U.S. threatens new sanctions after Daniel Ortega wins a fourth presidential term in Nicaragua.

Houston authorities describe a stampede at the Astroworld music festival. Some of President Biden's spending priorities pass while others continue to face gridlock on Capitol Hill. Jurors were shown video of the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery as three men stand trial.

The Biden administrations orders COVID-19 vaccines for workers at larger U.S. companies. Crowds of climate activists are expected to demand a faster response around the U.N. conference in Scotland. And how many active law enforcement and military members claim membership in a far-right anti-government militia?

An election loss in Virginia and a squeaker of a win in New Jersey spurs House Democrats to possible votes on Biden spending plans. The Fed rolls back only some of its pandemic-related economic support. And Russia sets new COVID death records, as Europe reels from a new surge in infections.

Do Virginia's gubernatorial election results indicate how the political winds are blowing nationwide? The CDC OKs COVID vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11. And the Supreme Court hears a major Second Amendment case that could affect gun control laws in multiple states.

The U.N. climate summit is the backdrop for new U.S. methane rules and a commitment from one of the world's biggest greenhouse gas sources. Virginia's neck-and-neck gubernatorial election is a possible predictor for 2022 mid-term contests. And abortion providers and anti-abortion activists react to Supreme Court signals on Texas' new abortion ban.

World leaders gather in Scotland to try to reshape the battle against climate change and avert more extreme hurricanes, floods and droughts. The Supreme Court takes up challenges to a Texas law that bans most abortions and lets private citizens enforce it. Jury selection begins in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two men during protests after the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.

What's a real-life monster that's scarier than vampires, werewolves and ghosts? Inflation, of course! Today's episode is a very special Halloween episode from The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR's daily economics podcast. It's a tale about inflation—a monster that hides in plain sight and has been recently haunting our economy.

President Biden is in Rome with leaders of the world's biggest economies to discuss crises including the pandemic and climate change. Kids age 5-11 are one step closer to being eligible for the Pfizer vaccine. Russia has started a nine-day national lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus infections.

Sticking points remain after President Biden tries to unite progressive and moderate Democrats on a new $1.75 trillion social spending compromise. Facebook changes its corporate name to Meta. And former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faces a criminal sexual misconduct complaint.

President Biden will make a delayed departure for Europe as Democratic lawmakers spar over his spending agenda. Economic forecasters predict lackluster U.S. quarterly growth numbers. And a federal parole commission creates unique challenges for prisoners seeking release from "hard time" in the nation's capital.

FDA advisors recommend Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses for kids 5 to 11. Democrats say a tax on billionaires probably will be part of a plan to pay for the Biden social spending plan. And some defendants charged in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol plan to act as their own attorney in court.

A former top diplomat on Afghanistan addresses what went wrong in the U.S. withdrawal. Lawmakers are set to question YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok about social media's impact on kids. And the U.S. State Department suspends millions in direct aid to Sudan after a military coup.

A U.S. envoy says Washington is "deeply alarmed" by reports of a military takeover in Sudan. FDA advisors will review data on kid-size Pfizer vaccine doses for children aged 5 to 11. And jury selection begins for a civil trial targeting accused organizers of the deadly 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Internal documents show Facebook employees raised alarms about "Stop the Steal" misinformation before January 6. President Biden is negotiating with fellow Democrats about the size of his social spending bill. More adults will now be able to get COVID-19 booster shots; are kids' shots next?

The CDC closes the loop on booster recommendations for three vaccines. Hospitals confront a pandemic-driven nursing shortage. And NPR speaks with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough about government failures to meet veterans' healthcare needs.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine boosters clear another regulatory hurdle. Senate Democrats lose a major push for voting rights protections. And a meeting in Moscow signals Russia's embrace of closer contact with Afghanistan's Taliban rule.

Congressional investigators endorse a criminal contempt charge against a key Trump ally, as Democrats weigh cuts in the Biden spending agenda. The accused gunman in a Florida high school shooting appears in court, while families of victims near a settlement. And will parental outrage at school board meetings translate to votes in fall elections?

Jury selection begins in the Georgia trial of three white men charged with murdering a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery. Former President Donald Trump sues the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. And the Biden administration promotes new support for kids' mental health as new NPR poll data reveals continued pandemic harm.

U.S. officials join an investigation into the kidnapping of 17 missionaries and family members in Haiti. China's economic growth slows as the huge real estate firm Evergrande races toward possible debt default. And the FDA is poised to approve more COVID vaccine booster shots.

When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October of 1971, there was nothing else like it on TV. It became an iconic Black music and dance show — a party every weekend that anyone could join from their living room. In the first episode of a three-part It's Been A Minute series examining the concept of crossover in pop music across three decades, Sam Sanders breaks down the lasting influence of Soul Train. With Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America, as well as scholars, fans and even a few featured dancers, they ask: why has there never been another show like Soul Train since it went off the air?

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel recommends booster shots for those who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The killing of a British lawmaker is called an act of terrorism, and is prompting a review of security protocols. Ethiopia's civil war is entering a new phase, with civilians not only in the path of violence but also facing famine.

FDA advisors are unanimous in endorsing more COVID-19 vaccine boosters. A former high-profile Trump advisor is first to face criminal contempt proceedings in Congress for defying Jan. 6 attack investigators. And three white men go to trial next week in Georgia in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was shot while jogging.

A study suggests Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients could benefit from another booster brand. Also, investigators looking into the Jan. 6 riot await answers from four former Trump administration officials. And the White House calls on ports and private industry to help unstop shipping bottlenecks and rescue the holiday shopping season.

Oil prices and a tangled supply chain are top inflation predictors for today's consumer price snapshot. Thirty countries join a virtual White House cybersecurity summit. And the FDA for the first time is authorizing an e-cigarette product.

A new poll confirms Americans are behind and on edge because of the pandemic. Raiders Coach Jon Gruden resigns after NFL officials found racist, misogynistic and homophobic language in his emails. And a U.S. Navy nuclear engineer and his wife head for federal court to answer espionage charges.

FDA advisors meet to consider Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine boosters. Poor turnout mars Iraq's parliamentary elections. And Taiwan tells China it will not bow to pressure to reunify.

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, authors Joshua Prager and Leni Zumas each explore the real world implications of abortion politics, through fiction and non-fiction. First, in a conversation with Michel Martin, Prager talks through his book The Family Roe: An American Story, centered on the woman who was the baby at the center of the landmark Roe v. Wade trial. Then Leni Zumas and Scott Simon discuss Zumas' novel Red Clocks, set in a time where fetal personhood legislation has outlawed not only abortion, but also in-vitro fertilization.