Your weekend long reads🗞️

Good morning, friends of The Short List! It's John, here again with weekly highlights from the USA TODAY Network.

I'm sure you've been following news of the new omicron variant of coronavirus. A recent Axios-Ipsos poll found that 94% of Americans have heard of omicron. In the same poll, 47% said that while they've heard of it, they know almost nothing about it.

That's understandable. Experts say it will take a few weeks before we know whether omicron is highly dangerous – like the delta variant – or something far less worrisome.

So in the meantime, here is a rundown of our reporting on omicron: What it is, where it came from, and what will likely happen next.

• Early results suggest omicron could be more contagious, but less dangerous
• Scientists suggest omicron evolved in just one person
• Visual: How omicron is mutating and spreading
• First omicron case in US: Where it was found, vaccine effectiveness and symptoms
• Omicron is here: How to manage your anxiety about the new variant
• Fact Check: No, 1963 movie did not predict the 'Omicron Variant'

There are more great reads below.👇 Enjoy your weekend!