Go for the gold: Your Weekend Briefing

November 28, 2021

By Remy Tumin

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. We're covering a new coronavirus variant, the Iran-Israel shadow war and a Broadway legend.

People lined up to be tested for Covid-19 in Johannesburg on Saturday.Jerome Delay/Associated Press

1. A new coronavirus variant has the world on edge: Omicron.

Countries around the world are scrambling to stop the spread after the W.H.O. described Omicron as a "variant of concern," its most serious category. The W.H.O. said the variant, first detected in southern Africa, carries a number of genetic mutations that might allow it to spread quickly, perhaps even among those who are vaccinated. But scientists say vaccines seem likely to work against it.

Omicron has already been spotted in Hong Kong and Belgium and may well be in other countries outside of Africa. Germany, Italy and Britain reported cases yesterday. African officials lashed out at new travel bans, saying that the continent was again bearing the brunt of panicked policies from Western countries and that vaccine hoarding helped pave the way to this crisis.

European nations did not find the variant until after South Africa alerted them to it, demonstrating the gaps in their own surveillance efforts.

The response has been scattershot. Britain reimposed a mask-wearing order for stores and public transportation. Chaos ensued in Amsterdam for passengers traveling from South Africa. New York State declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a new surge in cases.

Here's how omicron — pronounced aa-muh-kraan — got its name.

Voters waited to cast their ballots for the Senate runoff election in Atlanta last January.Damon Winter/The New York Times

2. Democrats are struggling to energize their base despite big wins.

Even as President Biden achieves some victories like the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill, Democrats warned that many of their most loyal supporters see inaction on key party priorities such as voting rights, immigration and criminal justice reform. This has left the party base unsatisfied and unmotivated ahead of next year's midterm elections.

The mounting frustration has reignited a debate over electoral strategy that has been raging within the party since 2016.

Biden's approval ratings have slipped into the mid-40s, even though virtually all of his legislation commands majority support in the same surveys. Nate Cohn explains the disconnect.

Gas stations in Tehran closed in October after a cyberattack on Iran's fuel distribution system.Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA, via Shutterstock

3. Israel and Iran have for years engaged in a covert cyberwar targeting each other's military. Now the shadow war is broadening and hitting millions of ordinary citizens.

In recent weeks, a cyberattack on Iran's fuel distribution system paralyzed the country's 4,300 gas stations. It took 12 days for service to be fully restored. A few days later, cyberattacks in Israel hit a major medical facility and a popular L.G.B.T.Q. dating site. The latest attacks are thought to be the first to do widespread harm to large numbers of civilians.

As hopes fade for a revival of the Iranian nuclear agreement ahead of talks scheduled to begin in Vienna tomorrow, such attacks are only likely to proliferate.

Separately, Iran violently cracked down on protests against growing water shortages. Weather experts say 97 percent of the country is dealing with water scarcity issues.

Street vendors selling flags of political parties in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, ahead of the elections.Jose Cabezas/Reuters

4. Hondurans are heading to the polls in what could be their country's most significant elections in more than a decade.

Voters will choose a new president, a political contest that has been marred by violence and is being closely watched in Washington. Polls are showing a tight race between Nasry Asfura, 63, a charismatic mayor, and Xiomara Castro, the leader of a major protest movement and the wife of a former president. If elected, she could become the country's first female head of state.

The outcome may have consequences for the Biden administration, which is focused on controlling immigration and fighting corruption in Central America.

In Brazil, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has beat back a flurry of corruption cases and is staging a comeback ahead of next year's presidential race.

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"I've been lucky," Stephen Sondheim said in his last major interview.Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times

5. "I can smell both of those and how much I'm going to love them."

That was Stephen Sondheim one week ago, speaking to our theater reporter about the two Broadway shows he was about to see. It would turn out to be his last major interview.

There was little indication that Sondheim was unwell. One of the greatest songwriters in the history of musical theater, he died on Friday at 91, leaving "a life's outpouring of rapturous, hilarious, gorgeous and tortuous song in his wake," our theater critic writes in an appraisal.

Impromptu wakes filled New York City piano bars with tunes and tears. "Our industry and our art form owes everything to him," a voice teacher said.

Here's a guide to films, documentaries and other productions that celebrate Sondheim's work, and watch these performances from his remarkable songbook.

Shira Inbar

6. For years, Uber's intelligence arm acted behind the scenes. Then a former employee accused his co-workers of illegal activity.

Uber, like many other tech companies, recruited a team of former C.I.A. officers, law enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts to gather intelligence about threats and competition facing the company. But in 2017, one of the team's members turned on the others, accusing them of stealing trade secrets, wiretapping and destroying evidence. Four years later, he retracted the allegations and admitted they weren't true.

Awash in other scandals, Uber had denied the allegations, but failed to set the record straight on behalf of the intelligence team. Some of the men involved spoke to The Times about that chapter in their career and its aftermath for the first time.

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Brian Shelton in Elyria, Ohio.Amber Ford for The New York Times

7. Brian Shelton may be the first person cured of Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes experts were astonished but urged caution.

Shelton was the first patient to receive an infusion of lab-grown cells that produce insulin. Now his body automatically controls its insulin and blood sugar levels. The study is continuing, but the results so far have given experts hope for the 1.5 million Americans living with the disease.

"It's a whole new life," Shelton said. "It's like a miracle."

The warming main course is equal parts soup and stew.Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

8. From turkey to latkes.

Hanukkah starts tonight, and while there will be plenty of potato pancakes this week, Joan Nathan suggests this one-pot matzo ball stew. During her long career writing about Jewish cooking, Nathan focused on finding lost recipes. But the inspiration for this recipe came from a group of mothers sharing recipes at the playground. We have loads of other recipes, too.

And if you're still plowing through a mountain of Thanksgiving leftovers, we have a few ideas about how to transform them.

A terrarium design by Patricia Buzo includes tiny horse figurines, becoming a glass menagerie.Tracy Walsh

9. As winter closes in, there's at least one place where plants will still grow: a terrarium.

These miniature landscapes allow you to expand your indoor plant collection far beyond typical houseplants. The first thing to keep in mind when building your own is that the same rules that apply to tending your garden outside apply to these miniature gardens, our garden expert Margaret Roach writes.

You'll know you have built a good terrarium when "you get the 'I want to live here' feeling inside your chest," said one terrarium designer.

For more inspiration, these are not your traditional holiday wreaths. T Magazine spoke to a new generation of florists who are fashioning garlands out of dried flowers, herbs and grasses.

"You only have to look good in front of the people you care about," a curler-wearer in Seoul explained.Jean Chung for The New York Times

10. And finally, relax with a great read.

Why South Korean women are wearing hair rollers in public. How one U.S. city learned to love roundabouts. How to save your knees during exercise. Check out these handpicked stories and more for you in The Weekender.

Our editors also suggest these eight new books, and the new season of "How to With John Wilson," as well as these holiday ideas from our Well holiday gift guide.

Did you follow the news this week? Test your knowledge. And here's the front page of our Sunday paper, the Sunday Review from Opinion and today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here.

Have a dazzling week.

David Poller compiled photos for this briefing.

Your Weekend Briefing is published Sundays at 6:30 a.m. Eastern.

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