Omicron, Isolation, Quarantine & More; What Does Kwanzaa Mean to You?; Parents and Teachers Call-in: How Are You Coping?; The Words of 2021

Coming up on today's show:

• Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, infectious disease clinician and researcher at Columbia, ProHEALTH chief of the division of Infectious Disease, senior fellow for Infectious Disease at UHG Research and Development, and president of Parasites Without Borders, discusses the latest on the Omicron surge, isolation, and quarantine protocols. 
• This week Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kwanzaa a “fake religion,” and accused lawmakers of "pandering" and turning away voters by wishing observers a happy holiday. Listeners call-in to respond: What does Kwanzaa mean to you?
• With surging cases, a winter break couldn't come a better time, Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York reporter, talks about how schools are navigating so many positive cases, and takes calls from parents, teachers and students on how they're coping in this moment.
• Ben Zimmer, linguist, lexicographer, language columnist for The Wall Street Journal, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, and co-host of the Slate podcast Spectacular Vernacular, talks about some of the words with special significance in 2021.

Transcripts are posted to the individual segment pages as soon as they are available.

Listeners, the year is wrapping up, which means it's time again for our annual "Best Photo Sitting On Your Phone 2021 Edition." Submit the best photo from your camera roll by January 3rd.