Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers sentenced to life in prison

On Jan. 7, Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The McMichaels were sentenced without the possibility of parole. Bryan has a chance of parole after 30 years.

Arbery was killed on Feb. 23, 2020, outside of Brunswick, Georgia. He died after being fatally shot by Travis McMichael.

The prosecution argued that while Arbery, a Black man, was out for a run in a predominantly white residential area, the defendants, who are all white, chased and killed him based on unfounded suspicions that he was a neighborhood thief.

COVID-19 update

The number of young children being admitted to the hospital while testing positive for COVID-19 has been rising to its highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the CDC. The increase was seen with children ages four and younger who are not currently eligible for vaccination.

The CDC also updated their guidance for the recommended quarantine time period and testing. Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 but do not present symptoms should now quarantine for only five days. The CDC maintains that people without symptoms do not need a negative test result to come out of isolation after five days.

U.S. unemployment rate decreases

The nation’s unemployment rate was 3.9% in December, marking a pandemic low. This is a decrease from the 4.2% rate reported in November with 651,000 more workers saying they were employed in December compared to November.

Economists have cautioned job growth could slow due to omicron cases throughout January and February. The economy is approximately 3.6 million jobs short of its pre-pandemic level.

The Omicron variant has caused many to isolate and prevented them from returning to work, making it hard for companies to remain staffed, which may also affect the economy in the upcoming months.

Bob Saget Dies at 65 

On Jan. 9, actor and comedian, Bob Saget, was found dead at the age of 65  in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. 

There is no evidence of drug use or foul play according to the medical examiner’s office, and no cause of death has been determined. He was pronounced deceased on scene when deputies responded to a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room. 

Saget was best known for his role as Danny Tanner on ‘Full House.’ In addition, at the time of his death, he had just started a stand-up comedy tour. 

Saget’s family, friends and coworkers have taken to social media to remember and honor him.