This article outlines United States-related events which occurred in the year 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to heavily impact the US, with the emergence of numerous COVID-19 variants leading to a substantial rise in both infections and deaths across the country.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transactions with eight Chinese software applications (including Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Tencent QQ) citing concerns about Chinese access to sensitive data of American citizens.[9]
Facebook indefinitely bans President Donald Trump from all of its platforms, citing his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.[16]Twitter permanently suspends Trump's personal account the next day, January 8.[17]
Amid an industry crackdown on extremist content following the January 6 Capitol riot, Google removes the mobile app of social networking service Parler from Google Play.[19]Apple suspends the app from its App Store the next day, January 9.[20] Parler goes offline a day later, January 10, when Amazon ceases to provide its cloud computing services.[21]
After 36 years, Alex Trebek's final episode of Jeopardy! airs. Ken Jennings becomes the temporary host on January 11 as the search for a new permanent host continues.[22]
January 17 – Riley June Williams, a 22-year-old woman suspected of stealing House SpeakerNancy Pelosi's laptop during the January 6 Capitol riot, is charged by the FBI with intent to sell the device to Russian foreign intelligence services.[33]
COVID-19 pandemic: The Biden administration announces it will purchase 200million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, in addition to the prior order of 400million.[50]
President Biden signs a series of executive orders regarding climate change, including halting new oil and gas leases on public lands, procuring an all-electric federal vehicle fleet, and doubling offshore wind power by 2030.[52]
One of the 14 men accused in the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot pleads guilty and agrees to testify against his co-defendants, with sentencing set for July 8.[53]
Investment funds report major losses after video game retailer GameStop's stock prices rise 900 times their record low.[54] The next day, January 28, some financial services companies restrict the trade of stocks of several companies, including GameStop, triggering outrage online.
January 31–February 3 – A major winter storm strikes the Northeastern United States, bringing nearly 3 feet (0.91 m) of snow to some areas, causing over 575,000 power outages, and killing six people.[55]
February
February 1
Oregon Measure 110 comes into effect, making Oregon the first state to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of all illicit drugs.[56]
2021 Sunrise, Florida shootout: During the service of a warrant, a suspect kills two FBI agents and injures three others before barricading himself inside his home. He is later found dead, reportedly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[60] The shootout was the most violent incident in the FBI's history since 1986.[61]
The United States Senate votes 50–49 to pass a budget resolution that would allow Democrats to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package without support from Republicans.[62] Three days later, February 5, the Senate passes a $1.9 trillion budget for COVID-19 relief. The 50–50 tie-breaker vote is broken by Vice President Kamala Harris.[63]
U.S. RepRon Wright (R–TX) passes away at the age of 67 after contracting COVID-19, making him the first sitting member of Congress to die of the disease.[70]
In Fort Worth, Texas, at least six people are killed in an accident involving 133 vehicles on Interstate 35W, affected by weather conditions left by a snowstorm system.[76]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the Patient Specific Talus Spacer 3D-printed talus implant for humanitarian use. The Patient Specific Talus Spacer is the first in the world and first-of-its-kind implant to replace the talus—the bone in the ankle joint.[85]
February 18 – NASA successfully lands its Perseverance rover on Mars, seven months after launching.[86]
February 19 – The U.S. officially rejoins the Paris Agreement, 107 days after leaving.[87]
The Supreme Court rejects a last-ditch attempt by Donald Trump to shield his financial records, and issues an order requiring his accountants to turn over his tax and other records to prosecutors in New York.[92]
Dominion Voting Systems sues Mike Lindell for $1.3billion for defamation, claiming he spread false conspiracy theories about them after the 2020 presidential election.[93]
COVID-19 pandemic – The United States surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19. In response, President Biden orders flags to fly at half-mast for five days.[94][95]
Washington's felony drug possession law is struck down as unconstitutional by the Washington Supreme Court, making Washington the 2nd state (after Oregon) to remove criminal penalties for possession of illicit drugs.[100]
Virginia's legislature passes an adult-use cannabis legalization law, though the law (including both retail sales and simple possession) initially did not come into effect until 2024.[106] It is later amended to legalize cannabis possession in Virginia beginning on July 1, 2021, while keeping the original 2024 retail sales start date.[107]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is accused of sexual harassment by a second former aide to the governor Charlotte Bennett after alleging that he harassed her late last spring, during the height of the state's fight against the coronavirus.[108]
Against CDC warnings, Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifts the statewide mask requirement and allows businesses to open at 100% capacity beginning March 10.[110]
March 7 – March 2021 Hawaii floods – Floods in Hawaii leave one missing, destroy six homes, force evacuations, and leave 1,300 without electricity.[115]
Attorneys defending Amendment A, which would have legalized cannabis in the state on July 1 before being struck down by a lower court judge, submit their arguments to the South Dakota Supreme Court.[124]
An attempt to delay the effective date of South Dakota's medical cannabis law from July 2021 until January 2022 fails due to disagreements between the South Dakota House and Senate on the proposed legislation.[125]
March 11
COVID-19 pandemic
Minnesota reports its first case of the South African 501.V2 variant of COVID-19. The patient is a person from the Twin Cities area who became ill on January 24 and tested positive on January 29.[126]
Washington reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which originated in Brazil. The patient is a person from the King County.[127]
The family of George Floyd, the man murdered while in police custody last May, sparking nationwide (and later worldwide) protests against police brutality and systemic racism, settles their lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis for $27million.[129]
Arizona reports its first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant, which originated in Brazil.[131]
March 14 – Marvin Scott[132] died on March 14, 2021, in police custody at a correctional facility in McKinney, Texas.[133][134]
March 14–15 – A blizzard in Colorado brings over 24.1 inches (61 cm) of snow, passing a record of 23.8 inches (60 cm) set in 1982, to become the fourth largest recorded snowfall in Denver history and the largest since 2003 when the city received 31.8 inches (81 cm). It also leaves tens of thousands of people without power and some stranded in their cars after roads are closed.[135] In Wyoming, over 31 inches (79 cm) were received in Cheyenne, and 52.5 inches (133 cm) in the Laramie Range.[136]
2021 Atlanta spa shootings – Eight people are killed and one is injured in a trio of shootings at spas in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area. A suspect is arrested 150 miles south of Atlanta later that day and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of attempted murder two days later, March 18.[139][140]
March 17
The IRS announces that the deadline for Tax Day will be postponed to May 17.[141]
March 22 – 2021 Boulder shooting: 10 people are shot dead at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. It is the third deadliest mass shooting in the state's history, behind the 1999 Columbine High School massacre which left 13 dead and 24 injured, and the 2012 Aurora theater shooting which left 12 dead and 70 injured.[146] A 21-year-old suspect, Ahmad Al Issa, is arrested after being shot in the leg by police.[147]
March 24
COVID-19 pandemic: Georgia reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant, which was originally detected in Brazil. It was found in a resident in Newton County.[148]
COVID-19 pandemic: More than 30million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States.[149]
Tornadoes in Alabama kill five people, destroy several homes, and cause thousands of power outages.[152]
The North Dakota state senate rejects a bill to legalize recreational cannabis in the state by a 10–37 vote.[153]
March 26
COVID-19 pandemic
Maine reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant, which was originally detected in Brazil.[154]
Wisconsin confirms their first cases of the Lineage P.1 and 501.V2 variants of SARS-CoV-2.[155]
Arizona reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant, which was originally detected in South Africa.[156]
New Jersey amends its alcohol and cannabis laws to allow police to notify parents or guardians after a first-time offense by a minor, following strong opposition to the prohibition on first-time notifications implemented when New Jersey legalized cannabis the previous month.[157]
The Arkansas Senate passed, HB1570, a bill that prohibited normally functioning and physically healthy minors from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital and non-genital invasive surgical alterations.[160][161]
A judge orders three men charged with plotting to kidnapMichigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to stand trial, after a three-day preliminary hearing. Threat of terrorism charges are also dismissed against two of the defendants.[162]
United States Capitol car attack: The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. is placed under lockdown after a suspect rams a car into a barricade on Constitution Avenue and exits the vehicle holding a knife. Two police officers are injured in the attack and taken to a hospital, where one dies from his injuries. The suspect is killed by Capitol Police.[172]
COVID-19 vaccination – President Biden announces that the deadline for all states to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine will be moved up from May 1 to April 19.[174]
President Biden requests Congress to authorize a $1.5 trillion federal spending plan in 2022, which includes an emphasis on public health, as well as major increase in science and research funding.[191]
During his show, Tucker Carlson argued that the Democratic Party "is trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people, more obedient voters from the Third World". He also said, "Everyone wants to make a racial issue out of it, 'Ooh, the white replacement theory.' No, no, no, this is a voting rights question. I have less political power because they are importing a brand-new electorate. Why should I sit back and take that?" The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and others said that Carlson was endorsing the Great Replacement, a white nationalist conspiracy theory that claims white people are being systemically replaced through declining white birth rates and high rates of immigration.[193][194] In an open letter to Fox News, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called for the network to fire Carlson.[193]
Microsoft announces the $20billion acquisition of AI firm Nuance Communications, the second largest deal in its history, after LinkedIn in 2016.[201]
April 15
Chicago police release graphic footage of an officer shooting dead 13-year-old Adam Toledo in a dark alley.[202]
Indianapolis FedEx shooting: Nine people are killed, including the shooter, and seven injured, in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.[203]
April 16
The media reports that U.S. Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar are forming the America First Caucus.[204][205] It is scrapped within a day, following criticism from other GOP members.[206]
Virginia reports its first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant, which was originally detected in Brazil.[208]
Michigan extends their restrictions on gatherings and dining to May 24 amid a rise of cases. The state also expands their mask mandate to children ages 2–4 years.[209]
The number of vaccines administered in the United States exceeds 200million.[210]
April 18 – COVID-19 vaccination: The CDC reports that over 50% of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. At least 130 million adults have received the first dose, while 84 million adults have also received the second dose.[211]
A viral Internet meme encourages users named Josh Swain to compete at an event in Lincoln, Nebraska and battle for the right to use the name Josh Swain. The event draws a crowd of several hundred people, and raises over $8,000 in charity.[218]
April 26 – COVID-19 pandemic – The CDC says that fully vaccinated Americans can go outside without wearing a mask unless they are in large crowds.[224]
May 5 – South Carolina House votes to add firing squad to execution methods; South Carolina would become the fourth state to use firing squad after Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah.[234]
May 7
Colonial Pipeline cyberattack: An oil pipeline in Houston is hacked by DarkSide causing the pipeline operator to shut down its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast's fuel supply.[235]
May 11 – The Colonial Pipeline shutdown enters its fifth day. Panic buying by motorists causes many eastern seaboard gas stations to begin running dry. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm urges calm and to not hoard.[239]
May 12
Colonial Pipeline begins restarting, but warns that it will take several days for things to return to normal operations.[240]
May 13 – COVID-19 pandemic – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that all "fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance".[242][243]
May 14
Colonial Pipeline operations return to normal late in the day, but gas outages at retail stations will take several days to clear.[244]
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs public school "bathroom bill", HB1233, into law. The bill specifies that schools must comply to reasonable requests made by students and staff to provide them with access to a reasonably private bathroom that is restricted to occupants of their same sex.[245][246][247]
COVID-19 vaccination – The CDC announces that 50% of the American adult population has been fully vaccinated.[257]
COVID-19 vaccines – Moderna says that their vaccine is 100% effective in teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. They say that they will seek approval from the FDA in early June.[258]
Michigan surpasses 19,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.[259]
JBS S.A. cyberattack: A ransomware cyberattack hits several beef processing plants and slaughterhouses in Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. Russian firm REvil has been accused of being the perpetrators of the attack.[263]
Michigan lifts several face mask requirements at outdoor gatherings and loosens them at indoor gatherings and businesses. Fully vaccinated people are allowed to not wear masks in public, but unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people are still required to do so.[268]
Facebook's Oversight Board announces its ban on former President Donald Trump's personal account will last until January 2023. Trump was originally banned for posting a message supporting the January 6 insurrectionists.[271] It also announces that it will no longer grant blanket immunity to politicians who use its service, especially if their posts are deemed to be deceptive or abusive.[272]
A letter to Apple'sTim Cook is made public, in which staff request more flexibility over remote work, following the company's decision to return its 150,000 employees to the office.[274]
The FDA approves the first new medication since 2014, semaglutide (Wegovy), for chronic weight management.[275]
Twitter suspensions: Twitter announces that they have suspended the account of former Florida Department of Health dashboard manager Rebekah Jones for spamming and "platform manipulation" after she paid other users to follow her.[280]
June 12 – COVID-19 misinformation: YouTube announces that it has suspended U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R–WI) for violating their policies about promoting unproven alternative therapies to treat COVID-19.[288]
VermontGovernorPhil Scott announces that 80% of individuals in his state have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. Following the milestone, Scott announced that the state would lift their restrictions.[292]
The nationwide death toll from the virus exceeds 600,000, equal to the annual cancer death toll.[294]
June 16 – Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs Texas House Bill 1927, eliminating the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns either concealed or openly starting September 1, 2021.[295]
June 17
Politico obtains a recording of William Braddock, GOP candidate in a Florida congressional seat, threatening to send "a Russian and Ukrainian hit squad" to fellow Republican opponent Anna Paulina Luna to make her "disappear."[296]
The first Juneteenth under federal holiday status is celebrated.
June 20
2021 Arizona wildfires – An outbreak of wildfires begins in Arizona due to thunderstorms producing dry lightning coming through the state from June 14 to June 20. Due to the outbreak, as well as fire danger, many national forests in the state of Arizona are closed to the public. The only people allowed in the forests are firefighters and people who own property in the forests.[301][302]
2021 Buffalo mayoral election – Community activist and self-avowed socialistIndia Walton defeats incumbent mayor Byron Brown to win the Democratic primary. As the Democratic candidate is overwhelmingly favored to win the mayoralship in November, this will possibly be the first time that a socialist will be mayor of a major American city since 1960.[309]
COVID-19 pandemic: Michigan lifts its face mask requirements and capacity restrictions on indoor events.[310] Masks are still required for nursing homes, prisons, hospitals, schools, funeral directors, and agricultural workers. Usage at businesses is optional.[311]
San Jose becomes the first city in the nation to mandate that gun owners both purchase liability insurance for their firearms and to pay an annual fee to cover costs to the city's services for gun-related injuries and deaths, after the city council unanimously adopted the measures.[328]
June 30
Disgraced entertainer Bill Cosby is prematurely released from prison when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturns his sexual assault convictions and sentences on the grounds that his due process rights were violated. In addition to this, the highest judiciary within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bars any future prosecution for these crimes.[329]
An intentional controlled detonation of illegal fireworks by the Los Angeles Police Department in a busy neighborhood of South Los Angeles does not go as planned, injuring seventeen people, including 10 LAPD officers, and damaging windows, cars, and buildings.[331]
COVID-19 vaccination – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces a month-long vaccination raffle in which residents can win a total of $5 million in cash (one grand prize of $2 million or three prizes of $1 million) and $500,000 total in college scholarships for children ages 12–17 years old (nine prizes of $55,000). The winners were drawn on August 4.[332]
President Biden signs a 72-point executive order placing tighter regulations and scrutiny on major corporations in a variety of sectors, including Big Tech companies. Policies outlined include banning non-compete clauses, curbing the ability of manufacturers to restrict the right to repair certain products, granting the Federal Trade Commission the ability to set guidelines on data collection, banning unfair competition practices in online marketplaces, and ordering the Food and Drug Administration to work with states and Native American tribes on procuring cheaper medicines from Canada.[339]
Whatcom County, Washington becomes the first state county to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure. The new law also places restrictions on existing fossil fuel facilities, such as a requirement that any greenhouse gases emitted from expansion be offset.[362]
Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter of Colorado announces that two lawyers, Gary D. Fielder and Ernest John Walker, will be sanctioned for filing a lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election.[377]
COVID-19 pandemic: Louisiana reports 2,247 hospitalizations, a new single-day record.[378]
August 5 – President Biden sets a goal for half of new cars sold to be zero-emission by 2030.[379]
August 6
COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 vaccination: The CDC reports that 50% of the U.S. population (including both adults and children) is now fully vaccinated, or about 166 million people.[380]
Florida reports 22,783 new cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record.[381]
Aubrey de Grey, a leading anti-aging researcher and Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation, is placed on leave by his company, following sexual harassment allegations by two women in the field.[393]
The Senate votes to pass a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a day after the bipartisan infrastructure package passed.[394]
August 12 – The Census Bureau reports that, per the results of the 2020 census, the population of White Americans declined for the first time in history, and population growth is at its lowest since the Great Depression. Conversely, Hispanic, Asian, and Multiracial Americans saw the largest growth, with the latter seeing an increase of 276%. Hispanics make up the largest group in California for the first time, with whites in Texas barely remaining the largest by 0.4%. The Southern and Western regions also saw the most growth.[396]
August 13
COVID-19 pandemic
Michigan surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19.[397]
The New York State Assembly says that it will not impeach Governor Andrew Cuomo following his announcement that he would resign.[399]
Bob Dylan is accused of sexual assault and related offenses in 1965 by a woman identified as "J.C." who files a lawsuit against the singer. Dylan denies the allegations.[400]
August 18 – R&B singer R. Kelly begins his trial at New York's Eastern District federal court, accused of racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery, all of which he denies.[404]
August 23 – COVID-19 vaccination: The FDA gives approval to the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) for those aged 16 years and older.[409]
August 24
The U.S. Supreme Court restores the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy, which requires migrants seeking asylum to remain in Mexico until their US immigration court date.[410]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation becomes official at midnight and Kathy Hochul becomes the first female New York Governor.[411]
August 25 – U.S. District JudgeLinda Vivienne Parker announces sanctions against Sidney Powell, L. Lin Wood, and other lawyers who were filing a lawsuit seeking to overturn President Biden's victory in Michigan last year. She also orders the lawyers to be referred to their home states for disbarment or suspension of law license.[412]
August 26 – Operation Allies Refuge: President Biden, in an address to the nation, says that the evacuation of American citizens will continue despite the terrorist attacks. He also vows that the U.S. will avenge the deaths of the 13 service members killed in the attacks by "hunting down" those responsible and "making them pay".[413]
A state of emergency is declared in New York City after record rainfall and flash flooding shuts down much of the city's transportation system, caused by Tropical Storm Ida.[420]
More than 54 deaths are reported in New York and the wider northeastern United States amid the ongoing flood emergency, as rescuers continue to search for stranded people.[421][422]
COVID-19 vaccination in the United States: President Biden issues new federal vaccine requirements affecting up to 100 million Americans. All employers with more than 100 workers are required to be either vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, while 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid are ordered to be fully vaccinated.[428]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs a bill that prohibits social media sites from banning or restricting users based on "the viewpoint of the user or another person", whether or not that viewpoint is expressed on the social media platform itself.[429]
September 14 – A recall election is held in California on whether GovernorGavin Newsom should remain in office, and who his successor should be if he is voted out.[434] Newsom defeats the recall and remains in office.
September 16 – Inspiration4, launched by SpaceX, becomes the first all-civilian spaceflight, carrying a four-person crew on a three-day orbit of the Earth.[435]
September 20
Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg makes an appearance at the New York Supreme Court as prosecutors continue their investigation into former President Trump's business dealings.[436]
The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic surpasses that of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, becoming the deadliest disease outbreak in American history.[437]
The U.S. House votes to pass the Women's Health Protection Act, an abortion rights bill, in response to the Supreme Court refusing to block the Texas Heartbeat Act from becoming law.[444]
Fox News announces that it has banned Rudy Giuliani and his son Andrew Giuliani from appearing on the channel for three months.[445]
September 25 – A train derails in Montana, killing three people.[446]
Grammy Award-winning singer R. Kelly is found guilty in a federal court on all counts of sexually abusing women and children over two decades.[450]
Ford announces an $11.4 billion plan for electric vehicle (EV) production, its largest ever investment in the US, with a major new factory in Tennessee and two battery parks in Kentucky creating nearly 11,000 jobs.[451][452]
September 29 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declares 23 species extinct, due to a combination of development, invasive species, logging and pollution.[453][454]
President Biden signs legislation that would extend funding for the U.S. government through December 3, thereby avoiding a government shutdown. Government funds were due to run out at midnight.[456]
Case Breakers, a group of former law enforcement individuals, claim to have identified the Zodiac Killer as Gary Francis Poste, an individual who died in 2018.[464]
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announces that the company will drop its return-to-office plan and allow its corporate employees to continue working remotely if they choose.[471]
Another special election is held in Ohio to fill a vacancy in its 15th congressional district due to the resignation of Steve Stivers effective May 15 to become president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Republican Mike Carey wins with 93,255 of the 160,012 votes cast (58.3%).[493]
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is involved in an automobile accident where a 23-year-old woman is killed. At the time of the crash, Ruggs was driving 120 mph (190 km/h). He was also over double the legal intoxication level as well. The Raiders immediately cut him later that day.
An investigatory hearing is held by the State Bar of Texas to kick off a multi-start process that would decide the fate of attorney Sidney Powell, who spread conspiracy claims after the 2020 presidential election.[496]
On October 15, the White House announced that it would reopen international borders to non-essential travel from the EU, UK, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil on November 8. The travel restrictions have been in place for 18 months, coming into effect in the early days of the pandemic.[502]
November 13 – While speaking before a "ReAwaken America" audience in November 2021, Former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said, "If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion. One nation under God, and one religion under God."[509] causing some outrage.[510]
State of Wisconsin v Kyle Rittenhouse: Mr. Rittenhouse is found not guilty on five charges of attempted murder, after three weeks of debate, and three days of jury deliberation.[517]
November 21 – Waukesha Christmas parade attack: An SUV is driven through the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring 62 others. The alleged driver of the vehicle, 39-year-old Darrell E. Brooks, is arrested and charged with five counts of murder.[518]
November 23 – The Biden administration announces a release of 50 million oil barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down inflation in conjunction with other countries' efforts, the largest release in history. An investigation into oil companies' practices is also announced.[519][520][521]
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey steps down as its chief executive, saying it is "finally time for me to leave". Parag Agrawal is named his successor.[524]
The Attorney General of New York Office releases lengthy documents which prove that CNN host Chris Cuomo abused journalistic ethics in a manner that was much greater than what had been reported earlier in the year. According to the documents, during Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment scandal, Chris used his connections in the media both to obtain information about his brother's accusers as well as to uncover the possibility that new accusers could come out against the former New York governor.[525]
CNN announces that it has indefinitely suspended Chris Cuomo while a law firm conducts an independent investigation that the network hired to look into the matter.[528]
COVID-19 pandemic: Minnesota reports their first case of Omicron variant.[531]
Two Georgia election officials, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye Moss, file a defamation lawsuit against The Gateway Pundit. The lawsuit is the first to be filed by individual election workers who were targeted during the 2020 presidential election.[532]
December 4 – Chris Cuomo is fired by CNN for his violations of journalistic ethics by aiding his scandal-ridden brother.[533]
December 11 – COVID-19 pandemic: North Carolina reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a student at UNC Charlotte.[538]
December 15 – An outbreak of more than 10 wildfires begins in the state of Kansas, scorching an area of more than 163,000 acres (66,000 ha) on the first day they were first reported due to gusty winds and dry grassland. The outbreak leaves the deaths of two people and injures three more.[539][540]
December 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: The CDC reports that Deltacron hybrid variant is now pre-dominant strain in the US,[542] which is combined with Delta and Omicron variants, accounting for three-quarters of cases.
December 29
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is convicted in a federal court on five of six charges relating to her recruiting and trafficking young girls to be sexually abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.[543]
COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. breaks its single-day case record, with over 488,000 new infections, nearly doubling the highest number from the previous winter.[544]
December 30 – Tens of thousands are evacuated as wildfires sweep through Boulder County, fanned by winds of up to 105 mph (169 km/h). The fires are the most destructive in Colorado's history.[545]
^Chief Brian Harvey (March 18, 2021). "Message from the Chief". cityofallen.org. Archived from the original on March 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
^Macaya, Melissa; Wagner, Meg; Rocha, Veronica; Mahtani, Melissa; Alfonso III, Fernando (April 2, 2021). "Officer killed in attack near US Capitol". CNN. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
