The Hill
Democrats are barreling toward a showdown over voting rights and changes to the Senate rules, after months of growing frustration from within the caucus. The party is under pressure, from both outside groups and lawmakers, to pass federal election legislation as GOP-run state legislatures debate new voting rules and as the start of the 2022 midterm election is fast-approaching.
Biden says he’s in favor of exception to filibuster for voting rights, ‘whatever it takes’
President Biden said in an interview Thursday that he would support an exception to the Senate’s filibuster rule when it comes to the wide-ranging election and campaign finance reform bill that passed the Democrat-controlled House earlier this year but hit a roadblock in the Senate.
Trump suspected of making 'several' tapes of Capitol riot response
The House committee investigating the Capitol riot suspects there are several versions of a video message recorded by former President Donald Trump in response to the violence on Jan. 6.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
More than 3,000 flights canceled worldwide amid airlines’ staffing issues
More than 3,000 flights scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have been canceled globally, according to the website FlightAware. Around 20 percent of those canceled for Friday inv…
thehill.com
Analysis: Trump pushes one truth and hides another
There are things that former President Donald Trump wants to talk about, like vaccines, and things he'd rather keep quiet, like what exactly happened in the White House leading up to January 6.
www.cnn.com
Trump could face charges for trying to obstruct certification of election, legal experts say
Analysis: charges could be well founded given Trump’s incendiary remarks to a rally before the Capitol attack and aggressive pressuring of officials The panel could make a criminal referral of evidence for the justice department to investigate. Photograph: Leigh Vogel/UPI/REX/Shutterstock...
Wave of retirements rocks Democrats' hopes of holding the House
So far, 23 Democrats and a dozen Republicans in the House have announced they're not seeking re-election or are running for another office.
www.nbcnews.com
China calls US law on Xinjiang imports ‘economic bullying’
China’s Commerce Ministry expresses ‘strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition’ to the US ban on imports from Xinjiang.
Fox News Host's Incendiary Fauci Comments Follow a Network Pattern
Fox News host Jesse Watters used notably violent language this week in urging a gathering of conservatives to publicly confront Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s foremost infectious-disease specialist, who has become a frequent source of criticism on the political right. Referring to tabloid-style...
Judge blocks New York Times on Project Veritas coverage
The Times was also ordered to return or delete relevant documents.
www.politico.com
New Year's Eve in Times Square still on, with smaller crowd
NEW YORK (AP) — Revelers will still ring in the new year in New York's Times Square next week, there just won't be as many of them as usual under new restrictions announced Thursday as the city grapples with a spike in COVID-19 cases.
apnews.com
New January 6 video shows three hours of violent and chaotic assault on police | CNN Politics
The Justice Department this week released a three-hour video of a battle between rioters and the police at the US Capitol Building on January 6 where rioters brandished weapons, officers were viciously beaten, and a member of the mob died on Capitol steps.
Covid, immigration and voting rights: Checking in on Biden's year-one promises
Biden promised his campaign for president to tackle a wide range of issues in his first year in office.
www.nbcnews.com
NY Gov. Hochul shortens quarantine period for 'critical workforce': 'We need you again'
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., announced during a Friday briefing at the New York state Capitol in Albany that she is shortening the requisite quarantine period for vaccinated “critical workforce” who test positive for COVID-19.
Biden calls NORAD and updates children on Santa's progress across the globe | CNN Politics
President Joe Biden made a Christmas Eve call to North American Aerospace Defense Command on Friday at the White House, updating children on Santa's progress across the globe as part of what NORAD Commander Gen. Glen VanHerck on the call called "DOD's largest outreach program."
$2.5B headed to tribes for long-standing water settlements
WASHINGTON (AP) — For over a decade, residents of the rural Fort Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona have been promised miles of pipeline that would bring clean drinking water to their communities.
apnews.com
Biden, first lady make Christmas Eve visit to Children’s National Hospital
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Friday made a Christmas Eve visit to the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where the first couple met with and read a story to hospitali…
thehill.com
WATCH: President and first lady visit Children's National Hospital
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Friday to greet patients, families, and staff.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Roger Stone Is Desperate for Cash and Still Selling Autographed Rocks
Photo Illustration by Kristen Hazzard/The Daily Beast/GettyLast-minute holiday shoppers can breathe easy: Roger Stone’s one-day auction of rocks, NFTs, and private phone calls with his friends has been extended indefinitely.Stone, a longtime GOP operator and friend of Donald Trump, was...
Middle man: Petersen poised to play key role in Va. Senate
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — When Republicans reclaimed the governor's mansion and the House of Delegates after November elections in Virginia, Democrats were left only with a narrow 21-19 majority in the state Senate to block the GOP agenda and protect the raft of progressive legislation they passed in...
apnews.com
5 Trump quotes that indicate he will run in 2024
The presidential election is three years away, but former President Trump is already fueling speculation he might mount a third bid for the White House.In findings that would be sure to please the …
thehill.com
Josh Hawley facing left-wing activist group's threat of new protest outside his DC-area home
Left-wing activist organization ShutDownDC on Wednesday seemingly threatened to show up at the Washington, D.C.-area home of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to mark the one-year anniversary of when when his wife and newborn daughter were harassed there while he was in Missouri.
Santa's measurements may surprise you: Official numbers released
The answers to the questions of Santa Claus's height, weight, and age have been released.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
President, first lady visit children's hospital, share stories of Christmas, new puppy
The Bidens greeted patients at Children's National Hospital on Christmas Eve, meeting a boy named Beau and sharing tales of new puppy, Commander.
www.usatoday.com
U.S. Navy warship sidelined with Covid outbreak
The USS Milwaukee is staying in port.
www.politico.com
About 600 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the US on Christmas Eve
The Omicron variant has now been detected in every US state and health officials warn more people are expected to get infected as they gather ahead of the Christmas holiday. Follow here for the latest.
Victory for Project Veritas: Judge orders New York Times to get rid of memos
A New York trial judge ordered The New York Times to destroy all copies of memos Project Veritas says are protected by attorney-client privilege.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Amid Ukraine invasion fears, Putin says West must give NATO guarantees
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday sent mixed messages about Ukraine while making menacing comments about a possible military confrontation.
And a Merry Christmas From the 'Patriots' of Jan. 6
A boy recently received a Christmas card signed by more than two dozen of his heroes. Many of them took the time to add small notes reflecting the sentiments of the season. “Have a jolly Christmas!” “Merry Christmas! #45 Won.” Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times “Merry...
Arnold Schwarzenegger donates 25 shelters to homeless veterans
Hasta la vista, homelessness.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Winter weather across the northern US could mean hazardous holiday travel, while record-breaking springlike temperatures warm the south | CNN
Jack Frost is taking over the northern US for the holiday weekend, delivering heavy snowfall, plummeting temperatures, and a white Christmas to the Pacific Northwest. The northern cold stops short of the southern US, where balmy springlike temperatures will likely break records.
On Santa tracking call, Biden is told 'Let's go Brandon' - and says he agrees
A vulgar anti-Biden slogan made for an awkward moment on Friday during President Joe Biden's phone calls with children tracking Santa's flight when a father said, "Let's Go Brandon."
Bernie Kerik plans to publicly release documents demanded by Jan. 6 committee
Kerik, raising concerns that his documents could be released selectively or without context, indicated that he planned to post them on a public website.
www.politico.com
Why many House Democrats are retiring or moving on before the next election
Twenty-five Democrats so far are leaving the House, compared to just 11 Republicans.
www.cbsnews.com
Japan says it will not send government delegation to Beijing Olympics
Tokyo’s decision follows a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Games over concerns about human rights in China, although Japan has avoided explicitly labeling its move as such.
www.nbcnews.com
Kushner investment firm raises more than $3B: report
Jared Kushner’s new investment fund, Affinity Partners, has raised over $3 billion in committed funding from international investors, Reuters reported Thursday.Kushner, a former top Whit…
thehill.com
Global airlines cancel more than 2,000 Christmas flights amid omicron surge
More than 450 of the canceled flights had been scheduled for within, into or out of the United States, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
www.nbcnews.com
Western powers urge Libya to set new election date ‘swiftly’
The UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US call on Libya to set a new date for delayed presidential vote quickly.
Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect bought him a gun despite animal abuse, 'disturbing texts' and other red flags, prosecutor says
James and Jennifer Crumbley knew their son was depressed and heading down a dangerous and violent path, a new court filing alleges.
www.usatoday.com
US tribes see hope for clean water in infrastructure bill | AP News
WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (AP) — Erland Suppah Jr. doesn’t trust what comes out of his faucet. Each week, Suppah and his girlfriend haul a half-dozen large jugs of water from a distribution center run by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to their apartment for everything from drinking to cooking...
AOC confronts Bill Bratton after ex-top cop blasts NYC subway homeless problem
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded Thursday after William Bratton – a former top cop in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston – suggested that the Big Apple’s Democratic leadership was to blame for a "mess" of homelessness on city subway trains.
Manchin told White House last week he would back some version of billionaire tax: report
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) reportedly told the White House last week that he was open to backing some version of a billionaire tax as part of the party's social spending and climate package before effectively tanking the Democrats' chances of passing the legislation by announcing that he would...
Biden finds uneven footing with Black voters
President Biden finds himself on uneven footing with a key constituency that delivered him the White House — Black voters — one year into his presidency.
Fire in Arizona Walmart sparks investigation, several aisles destroyed in blaze
A Tuscon, Arizona, Walmart was ravaged by a fire on Friday, prompting an investigation.
Reporter's Notebook: Retracing Kentucky's longest tornado
ABC News' Brad Mielke retraced the path of Kentucky's deadly tornado.
Suit settled over trans teen's suicide at detention center | AP News
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The mother of a transgender teenager who died by suicide at a youth detention center in Maine has settled a wrongful death lawsuit against the state for $225,000. The Bangor Daily News reported the settlement Thursday in the death of Charles Knowles, 16, at Long Creek...
Pope celebrates Christmas Eve Mass as virus surges in Italy
He urged the faithful to focus on the “littleness” of Jesus, and remember that he came into the world poor, without even a proper crib.
Google handed $100 million fine in Russia
A Moscow court fined Google nearly $100 million Friday over the company's alleged failure to remove content banned by the government, the largest penalty of its kind yet issued as Russia continues to apply pressure on big technology firm
SKorea ex-President Park, jailed for corruption, is pardoned | AP News
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will pardon his chief conservative rival and predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who is serving a lengthy prison term for bribery and other crimes.
Jan. 6 committee subpoenas for sitting lawmakers could enter 'dangerous Constitutional territory'
The past doesn't tell us much about how the House committee investigating the January riot at the Capitol can get the information it wants from Reps. Scott Perry, R-Penn., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Record heat wave set to sweep central US on Christmas weekend
Vast swathes of the central United States are expected to experience above-average temperatures this Christmas weekend.
New Jersey to pay close to $53 million to families of veterans who died of COVID-19 in state care
New Jersey will reportedly pay out roughly $53 million to settle with the families of at least 119 military veterans who died of COVID-19 in state care during the preliminary stages of the pandemic.
2 Georgia poll workers sue Giuliani, OAN over election conspiracy theories
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, her daughter, worked as poll workers counting ballots at State Farm Arena in Fulton County, Ga., during the November 2020 election.
www.politico.com
EXPLAINER: What will judge weigh in sentencing Kim Potter? | AP News
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she killed Daunte Wright will be sentenced in February after a jury convicted her Thursday on two counts of manslaughter.
5 teens charged in carjacking of Representative Mary Gay Scanlon
Five teenagers have been charged in the armed carjacking of Scanlon in Philadelphia.
www.cbsnews.com
The Worst Political Predictions of 2021
We all make mistakes. But some people got things really, really wrong this year.
'Let's go, Brandon': Caller pranks Biden at White House event
A father from Oregon uttered a term that is code for an obscenity directed at the president.
www.bbc.com
Remains identified after Mississippi man's pre-execution tip | AP News
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi authorities say they have identified the remains of a woman found following a tip from an inmate prior to his execution last month.
14-year-old girl killed by LAPD identified
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner-Coroner office has identified the 14-year-old girl who was killed by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) inside a department store dressing room.
Here's what to know about NASA's newest invention that's launching into space tomorrow
NASA's James Webb telescope is set to launch. Here's why the agency is calling it an "Apollo moment."
www.nbcnews.com
Global airlines scrap more than 4,000 flights as Omicron spreads
Holiday travel disrupted as Thailand reports first Omicron cluster, Ecuador makes vaccines compulsory.
A year after police killed Christian Hall, his parents continue calls for accountability
Police fatally shot Asian American teen Christian Hall during a mental health crisis. A year after his death, questions remain.
www.nbcnews.com
Say it ain't Joe: Manchin's not the only big hurdle left for Biden's megabill
The Senate parliamentarian, a little-known nonpartisan rules referee, still has the power to ax big portions of the $1.7 trillion social spending plan.
As COVID fueled the drug crisis, Native Americans hit worst | AP News
BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) — The medicine man told her she should soon give her son back to the earth. Rachel Taylor kissed her fingertips and pressed them to the crow sewn onto a leather bag nestled on the couch in the living room.
Dad tells Biden, 'Let's go Brandon' during Christmas Eve call — and Biden responds
Things went off script when President Biden and first lady Jill Biden spoke with children and NORAD officials who are tracking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
More Tiananmen massacre memorials removed in Hong Kong | AP News
HONG KONG (AP) — Universities in Hong Kong are removing memorials to the bloody suppression of the 1989 Chinese pro-democracy movement centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The Chinese University of Hong Kong early Friday took down the “Goddess of Democracy,” a statue based on a figure...
Famed scientist Jane Goodall warns against charitable Christmas gifts
“Farm animals are bought in great numbers by generous donors. Unfortunately, this can result in unintended consequences,” Goodall said.
West Coast battered by severe storms as parts of U.S. see springlike temperatures
Winter storms in the western United States left two people dead as other parts of the region face flood alerts, evacuations and the rare prospect of snow on Christmas.
www.nbcnews.com
How to watch NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launch on Christmas Day
NASA and its international partners are launching the most expensive science probe ever built — a $10 billion effort to explore the origins of the universe.
www.cbsnews.com
India: Hindu event calling for genocide of Muslims sparks outrage
Videos of event in which Hindu religious leaders called for mass killings of Muslims have gone viral.
Many US churches canceling in-person Christmas services | AP News
NEW YORK (AP) — Amid the surge of coronavirus cases across the U.S., numerous churches have canceled in-person Christmas services, disappointing pastors and churchgoers who consider them an annual highlight.
'Long overdue': New Zealand models generational tobacco purchasing ban on a U.S. suburb
In Brookline, Massachusetts, anyone born after Jan. 1, 2000, is barred from buying tobacco products — ever.
www.nbcnews.com
Hawaii pulls out of Hawaii Bowl night before game against Memphis
The University of Hawaii pulled out of the Hawaii Bowl on the eve of the scheduled game against Memphis because of Covid, season-ending injuries and transfers.
www.nbcnews.com
Atlanta owns up to legacy of convict labor that rebuilt city | AP News
ATLANTA (AP) — The City of Atlanta's official seal shows a phoenix rising from the ashes of the Civil War. What it doesn’t show is that Atlanta was rebuilt with slavery’s successor: convict labor, working in horrific conditions to break granite at the Bellwood Quarry and burn clay at the...
Massive ferry fire kills at least 39 in southern Bangladesh | AP News
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A massive fire swept through a crowded river ferry in Bangladesh early Friday, leaving at least 39 people dead and 70 injured, officials said. Many passengers leapt from the vessel into cold waters to escape the blaze.
US foreign policy in 2021: Key moments in Biden’s first term
Washington moved to re-engage with global institutions, pivot towards China, and oversaw chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.
Husband of Illinois Dem state lawmaker fired legal gun at perps during carjacking: reports
Illinois state Sen. Kimberly Lightford's husband used a legally-owned gun to trade fire with suspected carjackers.
Western storms bring flood threats, snow for Christmas | AP News
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two people died in a submerged car, evacuations were ordered for wildfire-scarred California, and Seattle and Portland faced the rare chance of snowy streets as a wave of storms rolled through the West.
Haridwar: Police case after outrage in India over anti-Muslim hate speech
Viral videos show Hindu religious leaders making provocative anti-Muslim speeches at a conclave in Haridwar.
www.bbc.com
4 people injured after shooting breaks out at Chicago-area mall
A shooting at a suburban Chicago mall full of Christmas shoppers left four people injured Thursday, police said.
www.nbcnews.com
A gift of Christmas joy for the children of the incarcerated | AP News
Kevin Almestica recalls unwrapping a Christmas present at age 5 to find his favorite G.I. Joe action figure with a card from his mom who was serving time at New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex.
Rare pink handfish spotted in Australia for first time in decades
Australian researchers found the endangered "walking" handfish in wild waters off Tasmania.
www.bbc.com
In UAE desert, camels compete for crowns in beauty pageant | AP News
LIWA, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Deep in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, the moment that camel breeders had been waiting for arrived. Families hauled their camels through wind-carved sands.
COVID puts a damper on Christmas Eve again around the world | AP News
From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, the surging coronavirus put a damper on Christmas Eve for a second year, forcing churches to cancel or scale back services and disrupting travel plans and family gatherings.
Omicron less likely to put you in the hospital, studies say
Two new British studies provide some early hints that the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the delta version. Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact omicron spreads much...
apnews.com
COVID-19 live updates: New York sees fourfold increase in pediatric hospitalizations
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 816,000 Americans.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children? | AP News
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children? Yes, U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer’s vaccine for younger children after millions of 12- to 17-year-olds already safely got the shot, the only one available for children in the country.
Beleaguered hospitals warn patients, push back treatments amid Covid surge
After two weeks apart in late September, Sherry Cohen was eager to see her mother, Sandy, who was in quarantine at an assisted living facility at the time.
www.nbcnews.com
Fauci says it's 'too premature' for US to be discussing fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose
Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said it is “too premature” for the U.S.
Christmas travelers stranded as omicron forces cancellation of thousands of flights
Jaclyn Stanton was excited to reunite with her parents for the first time since February 2020, when she last saw them before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
www.nbcnews.com
3rd Florida-based ship has outbreak, as state's cases hit a pandemic record
A Covid-19 outbreak took place on a South Florida-based cruise ship for the third time this week, as the number of Florida cases in Florida hit a record.
www.nbcnews.com
Omicron is latest blow to pandemic-weary front-line workers | AP News
BOSTON (AP) — Staff absences for COVID-19 tripled this month in London’s hospitals, and nearly 10% of the city’s firefighters called out sick. In New York, about 2,700 police officers were absent earlier this week — twice the number who are ill on an average day.
Testing logjams could hinder Biden’s multibillion-dollar bet on Covid pills
Patients have to first test positive for Covid to get a prescription for the drug, which needs to be taken within the first five days of the onset of symptoms to be effective.
www.nbcnews.com
Biden admin abandoned work on a mass COVID-19 testing plan because it thought it could vaccine its way out of the pandemic, report says
President Joe Biden's administration is scrambling to provide millions of free COVID-19 tests amid a surge in Omicron variant cases.
Protesters storm Guadeloupe legislature over vaccination requirements
Protesters stormed Guadeloupe’s regional legislature in defiance of the COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by the government,
Boosters are the best defense against omicron. But that message isn't getting through.
COVID-19 vaccine boosters are the best defense against omicron. But that message isn't getting through.
Officials warn children's mental health worsens amid pandemic
Officials and experts have sounded the alarm over the state of children’s mental health as the second pandemic year comes to a close, warning a crisis is emerging – but advocates, hospitals and schools say it may ha
Why you should upgrade your mask as the Omicron variant spreads
As the Omicron variant spreads, it's time to upgrade from your cloth face masks. Experts explain why medical-grade masks -- such as surgical/disposable masks and N95 and KN95 respirators -- are better options now and what people should do with the cloth masks they already have.
COVID-19 makes Biden's 1st White House Christmas less merry | AP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — So long eggnog, shrimp cocktail and pet-shaped sugar cookies. It's been a less merry holiday scene at the White House this year under COVID-19's shadow.
Omicron: US to lift travel restrictions from southern Africa
The White House said the measures were no longer necessary amid a US explosion of Omicron cases.
www.bbc.com
EXPLAINER: How will Biden's COVID-19 test giveaway work? | AP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the federal government will buy half a billion COVID-19 rapid test kits and distribute them free of charge to people to use at home. But despite the high public demand for tests, it will still be several more weeks before these kits are available to be...
Essential workers slammed again as Omicron variant spreads
COVID-19 is again hitting nurses, flight crews and other frontline staff. "We don't have enough hands," one grocery worker says.
www.cbsnews.com
Maryland officials advise health care providers to conserve monoclonal antibody treatments
Maryland officials are telling health care providers to preserve monoclonal antibody treatments after the federal government discovered that a portion of the approved therapies do not protect against the C
White House defends testing response amid shortage, saying it quadrupled at-home supply since September
The White House is accentuating the positive when it comes to the availability of COVID-19 antigen tests for home use; pointing to how there are more now than there used to be at a time when there is still not nearly enough.
What to do when those around you are not wearing masks? An expert weighs in about Christmas travel
With holiday travel returning to pre-pandemic levels, a health expert is offering advice for those planning to visit loved ones for Christmas, given the surge in Covid-19 cases in many parts of the country.
Cities that are canceling their big New Year's Eve events -- and those still going forward
London is just one major city canceling its big New Year's Eve celebrations. Find out what other cities are canceling because of the pandemic -- and which ones are still on schedule.
www.cnn.com
US to lift travel restrictions on eight African countries
The United States will lift restrictions on most air travelers from eight southern African nations before the end of the year, reversing the move meant to curb the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
Omicron: Good news, bad news and what it all means
There are many things in our favour, but Omicron is spreading fast. What have we learned this week?
www.bbc.com
Quarantined over Christmas: Here's what the newly infected have to say.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. will be quarantined for Christmas after becoming newly infected with Covid. Here's what some of them had to say.
www.nbcnews.com
Melting Arctic ice will have catastrophic effects on the world, experts say. Here's how.
Melting in the Arctic could have disastrous effects on the rest of the world.
Guadeloupe: Protesters angry over COVID rules occupy legislature
Mandatory jabs for health workers sparked wave of protests on French Caribbean island, drawing criticism from Paris.
Local officials call on Idaho sheriff to resign after he allegedly made disparaging comments about Native Americans
Members of a southeastern Idaho youth church group were being driven around by their chaperone last month,delivering Thanksgiving cards in the neighborhood to those they were thankful for when they decided last-minute to stop at the home of the county sheriff's house, according to a probable...
COVID-19 spike worsens Africa’s severe poverty, hunger woes | AP News
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Outside a foreign currency exchange in Zimbabwe’s capital, hordes of people desperate for U.S. dollars are pushed up against each other. “That’s it, keep it tight,” some shout, trying to prevent others from jumping the line to buy the money that could get them a discount...
Universal Orlando reinstates mask rule as COVID cases rise | AP News
ORLANDO (AP) — Universal Orlando is reinstating its mask requirements beginning Christmas Eve as COVID-19 cases are surging as a result of the omicron variant. Daily cases of coronavirus have quadrupled in the past week in the state of Florida, according to the U.S.
