The Morning Dispatch: What We Know About the Vaccines and Omicron

Happy Friday! Today is the 101st anniversary of Woodrow Wilson being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. If Jonah seems like he’s in a bad mood, that’s why.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected former President Donald Trump’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the National Archives from releasing an initial tranche of White House records to the January 6 Select Committee. “Former President Trump has given this court no legal reason to cast aside President Biden’s assessment of the Executive Branch interests at stake,” the three-judge panel wrote. Trump has 14 days to appeal the case to the Supreme Court before the records will be released.
As part of a deal brokered by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate voted 59-35 on Thursday to pass a bill allowing lawmakers—one time only—to raise the debt limit with a simple-majority vote rather than the typical 60-vote threshold. Once President Biden signs the bill into law, congressional Democrats are expected to raise the debt ceiling along party lines and stave off a potential default.
President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for about 90 minutes on Thursday to discuss the buildup of Russian military forces along the two countries’ shared border. “[Biden] reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to a White House readout of the call. “[He] made clear that the United States and its allies and partners are committed to the principle of ‘no decisions or discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine.’”