Welcome to the second of three shows we're producing this week.

It begins in the United Kingdom, where health officials say Omicron, a newly-discovered variant or version of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly throughout the country.

The British government estimates that Omicron accounts for 20% of all coronavirus cases in the UK, that amounted to just over 4,700 Omicron cases Monday.

10 people had been hospitalized with the new variant, despite most of them being fully vaccinated; one person with it has died.

There's a lot that's still unknown about this mutation of COVID.

But according to the World Health Organization, early findings suggest that existing vaccines may be less effective in preventing people from getting and spreading Omicron.

Early data also suggests it's less severe than previous COVID variants, that most people with Omicron have relatively mild symptoms or none at all.

Still, the British government is asking more people to work from home.

It's reinstated a mask mandate for people to shop or use public transportation, and it's planning to expand vaccine requirements for people to go into certain public places.

Across the Atlantic, New York State is increasing COVID-related restrictions.

For people to enter businesses there, they now have to be wearing masks unless the businesses themselves require vaccinations.

The state's government says it's trying to get ahead of an expected winter surge in cases.

A mask mandate remains in effect in Illinois for people who go inside public buildings, and that's regardless of whether they've been vaccinated.

Cases have been on the rise in the American Northeast and Midwest over the past couple weeks.

We don't know if that's because of the Omicron variant, though; this could be the continued spread of previously-identified versions like Delta.

Protesters have been speaking out against various mandates nationwide, and dozens of court cases related to them have been filed.

Meanwhile, several states in and around the Midwest are trying to measure the damage caused by last weekend's tornadoes.

Kentucky's governor says at least four of them struck his state, with one twister staying on the ground for a stretch of 200 miles or more.

At least 74 people there were killed, more than 100 are still unaccounted for, and over 1,000 homes in Kentucky were destroyed.

People from all over the country have sent millions of dollars in donations.

Officials say more is needed, and they're specifically asking for blood donations.

Seven other states were hit by tornadoes last Friday or Saturday; the National Weather Service says at least 50 twisters were reported.

10-second trivia: What did US President Gerald Ford call "public enemy number one" in 1974?

Soviet influence, pollution, OPEC, or inflation.

With the inflation rated higher than 11%, President Ford called it a public enemy.

There are a lot of mixed signals concerning the US economy.

In its most recent employment report, the Labor Department said 210,000 jobs were created in November, that's far short of the 573,000 economists had expected⏤a bad sign there.

On the other hand, the unemployment rate, the percentage of American workers who don't have a job, that dropped from 4.6% in October to 4.2% in November⏤a good sign there.

Wages have increased; the government says this November, the average amount of money Americans made per hour was 4.8% higher than it was a year ago, but prices have increased, too.

The government says inflation is 6.8% higher than it was a year ago, its biggest increase in almost four decades.

Economists say the rise of wages is not enough to keep up with the rise in prices.

And while some are optimistic that inflation could calm down in the year ahead, banking officials have indicated it may stick around.

Hi. You hungry?

In the St. Cyr household...

Cricket he show cow and Trigger the rescue horse are top priorities.

So, your animals come first, like, they eat before I eat.

And these gentle giants eat a lot.

The price of their food has gone up, and with twice-daily feedings, they run through nearly two 50-pound bags a week.

It was about, like, $16 a bag, and right now, it's at⏤it depends on where you go, where we're getting it, it's about, like, 22.

It's just one of the price pinches for this family in rural Michigan.

Spending power for rural Americans has dropped by 5.2%, compared to 3.5% for urban Americans from pre-pandemic.

And rural Americans typically spend more on the very items that have seen the biggest price increases: food, energy, and cars.

What are the biggest challenges you face when it comes to inflation?

I think it's just not having the options to offset those costs.

It's like, okay, yeah, we could drive another half-hour, another hour, but it's like, we're paying 350 for gas.

But gas prices are falling to a seven-week low, down 20 cents in Michigan in the last month to 3.22 a gallon.

And for these new small business owners, every cent counts.

Do you have a budget that you have to stick to this year?

This year, the couple launched their wood furniture and decor company, Palomino and Co., out of their garage.

But then, the cost of lumber skyrocketed and good quality became scarce.

So, to fill orders, they turned to their own barn for wood.

All of this used to be stalls, this whole, like, the aisle way, they're all stalls.

We deconstructed those to get lumber.

The price of wood has come back down, but the cost to ship their orders is up.

With being out a little farther out in the country, obviously, shipping costs, they increase because the farther out they have to drive.

I think we've been hit with so much it's like, you know, first inflation, and then gas prices, and then shipping.

But as prices have risen, so have wages, up 4.8% since last November.

Dylan still has his full-time job to help support the business.

- So you feel like it's risen a little bit together; enough to offset? - Yes.

It's definitely helped, um, probably not enough to keep up with inflation, but it's... it's definitely helped, though.

I mean, you always have that in the back of your mind.

The couple says there is a positive to living in rural America during a time of inflation.

If a family in the community is suffering financially, the whole community rallies around them to try to keep their heads above water.

And the St. Cyr couple says that despite the fastest rise in inflation in nearly 40 years, they're very hopeful and optimistic about their future and their business' future.

They believe that this inflation is temporary.

Back to you.

"Everyday people changing the world" is the phrase used to describe CNN heroes.

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the program.

CNN announced its top 10 heroes in October, and after that, it was up to viewers to choose the hero of the year.

The finalist was named in the All-Star Tribute on Sunday night.

The 2021 CNN Hero of the Year is...

- Shirley Raines. - Shirley Raines.

So, who is Shirley Raines?

She's the founder of a non-profit organization called Beauty 2 the Streetz.

For the past six years, it's provided food, clothing, hair, and makeup services on Skid Row, an area of Los Angeles, California that has one of America's highest concentrations of homeless people.

Raines first started working in this area in 2017 when she joined a church group that went there to feed people.

She felt a connection to the homeless community.

Raines had experienced financial insecurity, grief, and loss herself in previous years after her two-year-old son died.

30 years afterward, she and her six children began the work that became Beauty 2 the Streetz.

This journey has not been easy.

I stand before you today, a very broken woman.

My life will never be the same since my son died.

But it's important that you know that broken people are still very much useful.

We are very much useful.

Raines received $100,000 to expand her weekly outdoor beauty salon on Skid Row.

Bears have been known to eat everything from berries and fish to grass and deer.

But do they eat reindeer?

This one does.

The cub viciously attacked an inflatable reindeer recently in Southern California while its mother hung back and watched the scene unfold.

Get it?

A woman nearby thought this was funny enough to whip out her phone and provide this video.

But she says the two bears are commonly seen in the neighborhood and that they're trouble.

You might call them "bad news bears".

That cub left more than a "barren" stain on that reindeer; he caused a "Padding-ton" of damage.

And while no one had to call "Smokey" and this happened a long way from "Chicago", we'd say the cub that managed to "Winnie-the-fight" will probably get passed over by Rudolph and the gang this Christmas.

Pocahontas High School won't get passed over, though; shout-out to you, our viewers in Pocahontas, Arkansas.

We have one more show to go for the season and for the year, so we hope you'll "bear" with us once again tomorrow.

I'm Carl Azuz.