President Joe Biden will be tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday after an initial negative antigen test Sunday and a PCR test Monday. The president was in close contact with a White House aide on Friday who tested positive Monday. The announcement came amid a surge in coronavirus infections driven by the delta variant and as health officials brace for another spike caused by the omicron variant. The unidentified White House aide spent about 30 minutes “in proximity to the president” on Air Force One as Biden flew from South Carolina to Pennsylvania on Friday, according to the statement. 
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SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon capsule began its journey toward the International Space Station early Tuesday and arrived Wednesday morning to deliver supplies. Among the 6,500 pounds of cargo and science experiments, some Christmas cheer was included for the ISS astronauts and cosmonauts, according to NASA. Roasted turkey, green beans, smoked seafood, shellfish, fruitcake and presents for the crew were part of the special delivery. The autonomous capsule will spend about a month docked with the ISS before returning to Earth with waste and science experiment results. The successful SpaceX liftoff Tuesday put the finishing touches on the Space Coast’s 2021 cadence, which ends the year with 31 launches, matching 2020’s number. 
Due to the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases, the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association agreed to start their Christmas break early. The league will resume practices on Dec. 26 and the regular-season schedule will pick up Dec. 27. Originally, there were 10 games slated for Tuesday, but just one was played as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Vegas Golden Knights. The COVID surge will also keep NHL players out of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to a source. An official announcement is expected Wednesday. Meanwhile, National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver said on ESPN Tuesday that his league has examined multiple options but does not yet see a reason to stop or pause the 2021-22 season. Silver’s assessment came despite more than 70 players entering health and safety protocols in December.
Wednesday is the last day to ship gifts if you expect them to arrive before Christmas Day with FedEx (FedEx 2day) and UPS (2nd Day Air).”Now is the time to mail your holiday greetings and packages to make sure they reach their intended destination in time for holiday gatherings and celebrations,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement. This week is expected to be the busiest week of the holiday mailing and shipping season, USPS said, with nearly 2.3 billion pieces of mail, including greeting cards and packages, expected to be processed and delivered. For procrastinators: Retailers’ shipping deadlines for online orders vary and many stores will offer curbside and in-store pickup through Christmas Eve.
Whether you want to mask up at a theater or stay more comfortable on your couch at home, several new films are arriving Wednesday. If you like “The Matrix” movies, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return for a fourth installment of the sci-fi action saga in “The Matrix Resurrections” (in theaters and on HBO Max). A prequel to the first two “Kingsman” spy flicks, “The King’s Man” combines the usual over-the-top antics and a more serious war story. And, “Sing 2” brings one seriously high-profile newcomer to the voice cast for the star-studded animated sequel: Bono as Clay Calloway, a reclusive rock-star lion. 

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