Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a press conference in London... (Hollie Adams/Pool via AP)
LONDON (AP) — The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries on Saturday, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread.
Aggressive gerrymandering may make elections far less competitive, experts say
Redistricting has become a partisan death match as lawmakers in both parties seek political advantages in many states.
www.nbcnews.com
Even in Nantucket, Biden can’t escape the harsh reality of the pandemic | CNN Politics
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden descended on the island of Nantucket this week looking to preserve the sense of normalcy that the nation was so looking forward to over this holiday season.
www.cnn.com
Can Biden find the right balance on immigration?
Demands by Democrats to fix the nation’s broken immigration system were wielded as a cudgel against Republicans during the 2020 campaign.
apnews.com
GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips
Multiple House Democrats who are frequent top targets of the far right face the prospect of losing their committee assignments if Republicans win back the chamber next year.House Minority Leader Ke…
thehill.com
Laser-focused on 2020, Trump seeks a Michigan Legislature that could help him in 2024
Trump has endorsed seven candidates for state House or Senate seats who have made election administration and investigating last year’s vote central to their platforms.
www.nbcnews.com
Chris Christie aims to shape future for GOP and for himself
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been on a PR blitz promoting his new book. In “Republican Rescue," Christie says Republicans should stop talking about 2020 and focus on the future or risk losing elections.
apnews.com
Omar seeks action over House colleague's remarks on Muslims
Minnesota's Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is calling on House leaders to take “appropriate action" against Colorado Rep.
apnews.com
Kamala Harris calls South Africa travel ban 'necessary' amid concerns over COVID-19 omicron variant
Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday that she has been briefed about the COVID-19 omicron variant and insisted that the Biden administration did what “is necessary” to prevent its spread.
POLITICO Playbook: MTG plays cat and mouse with McCarthy
And the<b> </b>deadly new coronavirus variant spreading rapidly in southern Africa now has a name.
www.politico.com
Some fear China could win from US spat with Marshall Islands
For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally. Its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made it a key strategic outpost for the U.S. military.
apnews.com
‘A core threat to our democracy’: threat of political violence growing across US
Republicans’ muted response to Paul Gosar’s behavior has intensified fears about where incendiary rhetoric and images may lead
Canadian school cancels event with ISIS survivor out of fear of offending Muslim students - Washington Examiner
A Canadian school district canceled a book club event with an ISIS survivor over fear her new book would "foster Islamophobia." Helen Fisher, the superintendent at the Toronto District School Board, said students would not be allowed to attend the event slated for February where Nobel Peace...
www.washingtonexaminer.comOp-Ed: Gen Z students seem to dislike both political parties. What will make them change their minds?
Only 10% of college students think the GOP is moving in the right direction, and just 18% say that's true of the Democrats.
Shippers prepare for another pandemic crush of holiday gifts
Postal workers who recall packages and letters piled up in distribution hubs a year ago are gearing up for another holiday crush
Political parade floats, new Senate candidates a marijuana lawsuit: The week in Michigan politics
Politics, free speech and Santa Claus collided during a cherished community holiday gathering in Michigan.
Democrats Struggle to Energize Their Base as Frustrations Mount (Published 2021)
Even as President Biden achieves some significant victories, Democrats are warning that many of their most loyal supporters see inaction and broken campaign promises.
Five ways Senate could change Biden’s spending plan
President Biden’s climate and social spending plan is facing an overhaul in the Senate, where Democrats are splitting with their House counterparts on key provisions.Though House Democrats st…
thehill.com
Panel approves request to demolish Wright brothers' 1st bike shop
City officials had previously attempted to receive approval to bulldoze the property but did not move forward after hearing community concerns.
www.cbsnews.com
In Nantucket, Biden shops, attends Christmas tree lighting
President Joe Biden is back at his rental home on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket after spending most of Friday downtown with his family.
apnews.com
Burkina Faso police fire tear gas at anti-government protest
About 100 protesters attempt to march in Ouagadougo to protest against the government’s failure to quell violence.
How anti-Trump conservatives have fled Fox News | CNN Politics
The audience of right wing media such as Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network wants little to do with resisting Trump… Republicans who don’t get news from these networks are far more unfavorable to the former President.
www.cnn.com
How ‘Climate Migrants’ Are Roiling American Politics
Refugees fleeing weather-related disasters are changing the political equation in Florida, Virginia, California, Idaho and beyond.
www.politico.com
Mapping Michigan: Here’s where the political redistricting process stands
If the redistricting commission’s current timeline holds, Michigan will have an official set of political district maps before the end of the year.
Gov. Abbott guarantees lights will stay on in Texas this winter
Gov. Greg Abbott promised Texans that the “lights will stay on” this winter following a near collapse of the state's electrical system last February.
Trump, tough issues and personal rivalries test the GOP's reputation for unity
Tensions are driven by the still-divisive personality of former President Trump, by issues such as vaccines and mandates and by the prospect of big Republican gains in the elections of 2022 and 2024.
www.npr.org
BLM Director Stone-Manning outlines new direction for agency
Less than two months into her new job as director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Montanan Tracy Stone-Manning said Friday she’s determined to help lead the beleaguered agency in a new direction – both for energy development and long-term preservation of the nation’s public landscape.
www.ktvh.comWhy Republicans are embracing Kyle Rittenhouse as their mascot
Congress members float the idea of offering the 18-year-old internships as experts say their use of him is ‘a very dangerous thing’ Kyle Rittenhouse at the Kenosha county courthouse in Wisconsin. Photograph: Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock Wearing suits and ties...
Buyer’s remorse: Five California laws that have come back to bite them - Washington Examiner
California has a propensity for starting trends that sweep through the rest of the nation, whether it was the hippie era in the '60s, high tech in the '90s, or a host of environmental regulations in the 2000s, to name a few. Politicians have run this fifth-largest economy in the world as a test case
www.washingtonexaminer.com
New migrant caravan heading to US, increasing concerns about the spread of omicron COVID variant
A new migrant caravan has formed and is headed towards the U.S. border amid growing concerns over the heavily mutated COVID-19 omicron variant.
Black Friday online sales dip for 1st time, to $8.9 billion, Adobe finds
Americans spent $8.9 billion online on Black Friday, with spending down for the first time due to early deals, according to Adobe Analytics data.
Social media users rely on platforms for news, but skeptical of information, survey shows
A second round of results examining social media’s influence on public discourse is set to be released next week.
floridapolitics.com
Mall shootings, flash mob thefts mark Black Friday
Several mall shootings and flash mob robbery sprees put a pallor on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Donations pour in for Missouri man freed after 43 years
More than $1.4 million has been raised for a man who spent 43 years behind bars before a judge overturned his conviction in a triple killing.
apnews.com
Group of 20-30 robbers swarm Best Buy in Minnesota on Black Friday
The theft resembles other mass robberies recently seen across the country.
www.cbsnews.com
Salvation Army defends guide telling white people to apologize for racism
The Salvation Army recently defended an internal racism guide that discouraged "colorblindness" and encouraged staff members to "apologize for being white" after the guide faced backlash.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Christina Applegate shares a message on her 50th birthday after MS diagnosis | CNN
Christina Applegate is marking a milestone birthday after revealing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in August.
www.cnn.com
American whiskey makers set their sights on Europe as Trump-era tariffs are lifted
The 25% tariff on U.S. whiskey will be removed in January. Gone too will be the tariffs on U.S. motorcycles and denim, all levied during the Trump administration's trade battle with the E.U.
www.npr.org
Deaths in Niger as protesters confront French army convoy
Nigerien gov’t says two people killed, 18 wounded after the convoy, which is heading to Mali, ran into trouble in Tera.
Nine of 10 most popular governors are Republicans, Biden less popular than least popular governor
A recent nonscientific poll shows that nine out of ten most popular governors in the United States are Republicans while President Biden’s approval rating is lower than the country’s least popular governor.
A Los Angeles woman invited an Afghan refugee family over for Thanksgiving. Here’s what happened at their first Thanksgiving meal | CNN
For his family’s first experience with a traditional Thanksgiving meal, Wahidullah Asghary had to explain to his children what turkey is: “I said, ‘turkey is like a big chicken.’”
www.cnn.com
Today's political violence is real — but not new
Every time I hear somebody say that America’s contemporary political climate is uniquely violent, I wonder, “Where were you during the Nixon years?” Too young to remember the assassinations of
Migrant crisis: The Channel beaches that host a lethal trade in human hope
The journeys migrants make across the Channel are book-ended with beaches that tell the story of the crisis.
www.bbc.co.uk
Channel migrant deaths: Smugglers net millions per kilometer
Migrant smuggling networks organizing English Channel crossings have reaped tens of millions of euros this year. 2021 has been the busiest and deadliest ever recorded.
apnews.com
Where does Donald Trump stand now?
A little over one year since the 2020 election, despite a defeat, Donald Trump occupies a position in American life that no other former president has ever occupied before. What
Her terrifying accident on a porch swing pushed her into the ultimate mission of goodwill | CNN
After nearly losing her life in a porch swing accident, Lalia Susini is committed to helping other injured and sick children overcome the obstacles they face.
www.cnn.comNews: Kenyatta, Blinken discuss and agree on importance of unhindered humanitarian access in Ethiopia, support for inclusive political dialogue - Addis Standard
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Addis Abeba, November 27,2021- The United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. A statement by the U.S. state department indicated that President Kenyatta and...
addisstandard.com
Activists worked to end pregnant schoolgirl ban. They succeeded
Tanzania is one of the last two African countries to lift the ban that keeps pregnant schoolgirls from school.
4 arrested in California Home Depot mass theft | CNN
Four men have been arrested in connection with theft at a Home Depot in California, where as many as 10 people entered the store Friday night and left with a range of stolen tools, according to law enforcement officials.
www.cnn.com
Arizona police pull drivers over to give turkeys, not tickets, for community outreach
For a limited time only, police are helping drivers bring home the turkey, not tickets.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Some states dropping 'dehumanizing' terms for immigrants
California and Colorado this year banned state agencies from using the word “alien” to refer to immigrants who entered the U.S. without permission.
apnews.com
Peng Shuai: WTA concerned over 'censorship or coercion'
The head of women's tennis says he is not certain Peng Shuai is free of Chinese censorship or coercion.
www.bbc.com
Sens. Johnson, Baldwin condemn outside groups for trying to 'exploit' Waukesha tragedy
Wisconsin’s Democrat and Republican senators issued a joint statement Saturday warning of outside individuals or groups exploiting the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack for political gain and urged them not to do so.
Storm Arwen: Third person dies as gale-force winds hit UK
A third person dies after the storm and thousands of homes are left without power in Storm Arwen.
www.bbc.com
LeBron James fined $15,000 for ‘obscene gesture’ celebration | CNN
LeBron James’ celebration of Thursday’s overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers has landed the Los Angeles Lakers forward with a fine from the NBA.
www.cnn.com
Turkish lira crisis hits Idlib in Syria
Turkey’s currency crisis spills over into opposition-held Syrian city that adopted the lira more than a year ago.
Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests
Amid some legitimate concerns, misinformation and extreme views are radicalising people to violent protest.
www.bbc.com
Man charged with 600 counts of sexual assault and incest with a child
A man in Florida was arrested and charged with 600 counts of incest and 600 counts of sexual assault involving a minor.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Republicans struggle to save funding for Trump’s border wall
Senate Republicans are struggling to save funding for construction of former President Trump’s long-sought wall on the U.S.-Mexico border as Democrats press forward with plans to rescind nearly $2 …
thehill.com
Are divided Texas politics killing school bond packages?
Texas voters are rejecting more school bond as heated politics, pandemic divide communities
www.dallasnews.com
Dutch government apologizes for discredited transgender law
The Dutch government has publicly apologized for a now discredited and scrapped law that required transgender people to undergo surgery and sterilization if they wanted to change their gender on their birth certificate
A 5-year-old child was fatally shot by teenager making a video for social media, Minnesota police say | CNN
A 5-year-old in Brooklyn, Park, Minnesota, was shot and killed on Thanksgiving by a 13-year-old who accidentally fired a gun while a group of kids were making a video for social media, according to local police.
www.cnn.com
Remembering Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim: Stars pay tribute
Tributes poured in from Broadway and film stars after the passing of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim at the age of 91.
South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron
Worried scientists in South Africa are scrambling to combat the lightning spread across the country of the new and highly transmissible omicron COVID-19 variant as the world grapples with its emergence.
apnews.com
CDC says no cases of Omicron identified in U.S. so far
No cases of new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa have been identified in the United States to date, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.
High inflation? Low polling? White House blames the pandemic
Inflation is soaring, businesses are struggling to hire and President Joe Biden’s poll numbers have been in free fall.
apnews.com
COVID-19 updates: 2 cases of omicron variant confirmed in Canada, officials say
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 776,000 Americans.
Covid: Travel and mask rules tightened over Omicron variant
New measures to slow Omicron's spread in England before Christmas are unveiled by Boris Johnson.
www.bbc.com
Pfizer and BioNTech: Vaccine against new COVID-19 strain can be produced in 100 days - Washington Examiner
A vaccine that protects against the omicron variant of COVID-19 could be made within 100 days, Pfizer and BioNTech announced Friday. Pfizer said it is working to adapt the vaccine and monitoring for emerging strains of the virus, the most recent of which, B.1.1.529, known as "omicron," was...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
NY governor declares state of emergency to prepare for omicron
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency to prepare for a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa. Hochul’s declaration on Friday is one of the first emerg…
thehill.com
Dr. Fauci says he "would not be surprised" if new COVID variant is already in U.S.
"When you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over," Fauci said.
www.cbsnews.comU.S. President Biden calls for intellectual property protection waivers after Omicron discovery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called on nations expected to meet at the World Trade Organization next week to agree to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines in the wake of the identification of a new coronavirus variant in South Africa. "The...
The new Omicron variant is a pandemic gut check | CNN
The emergence of the newly identified Omicron coronavirus variant feels like a pandemic gut check.
www.cnn.com
Biden’s South Africa travel ban compared to Trump COVID restrictions he denounced - Washington Examiner
President Joe Biden’s decision to impose additional air travel restrictions on South Africa and seven other countries in response to a new COVID-19 strain is being contrasted with his response to similar policies under former President Donald Trump.Biden issued a proclamation Friday night saying...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Biden administration resists tougher Russia sanctions in Congress
The Biden administration, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is pushing back on Congress passing tougher sanctions against a Russian energy project even as President Biden is coming und…
thehill.com
Tracking breakthrough cases key to pandemic response, experts say
Waning immunity has become a focal point in the pandemic.
New Covid variant triggers urgent moment for Biden health team
There is plenty still unknown about Omicron, but the variant already has the potential to upend the global pandemic response and undo progress that's been made containing Covid-19.
www.politico.com
Oregon offers to pay pharmacies to administer COVID vaccines
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Health Authority is offering to pay pharmacies $35 for each dose of COVID-19 vaccine they administer, with the intention to boost vaccination rates.
Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
View NPR's maps and graphics to see where COVID-19 is hitting hardest in the U.S., which state outbreaks are under control and where cases are still spreading.
www.npr.org
Covid: Dozens test positive on SA-Netherlands flights
The Dutch health authority says the new Omicron variant was "probably found in a number of people".
www.bbc.com
Lobbyists turn to infrastructure law’s implementation
The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is enshrined into law, but the lobbying over its implementation is just getting started.The spending package, which aims to rebuild roads, bridges a…
thehill.com
Covid: South Africa 'punished' for detecting new Omicron variant
South Africa should be praised for discovering Omicron, not hit with travel bans, its officials say.
www.bbc.com
EXPLAINER: What we know and don't know about omicron variant
The World Health Organization says it could still take some time to get a full picture of the threat posed by omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus as scientists worldwide scramble to assess its multiple mutations.
apnews.com
GOP holds on Biden nominees set back gains for women in top positions
Women are set to make unprecedented gains in leadership positions on President Biden’s foreign policy and national security teams, but their confirmations for key appointments are being held up in …
thehill.com
Biden promised to 'shut down' COVID, but omicron variant poses new challenge for admin
The COVID-19 omicron variant is posing new risks for President Biden and his administration as they attempt to control the spread of a virus he vowed to "shut down" during the 2020 campaign.
German minister hopes patient transfers a 'wake-up call'
Germany’s health minister says he hopes that the sight of air force planes transferring patients across the country will act as a “wake-up call” to millions who are still holding out on getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
apnews.com
More European countries find Omicron cases as concern grows
UK, Germany and Italy latest to find infections of new coronavirus variant as South Africa condemns travel curbs.
Sunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variant emerges; supply chain issues and inflation persist
The emergence of a new COVID-19 variant as the United States sees an uptick in infections and ongoing supply chain issues and inflation affecting the country during the holiday shopping s…
thehill.com
COVID-19 positive Czech president discharged from hospital
Czech President Miloš Zeman has been discharged from the capital’s military hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus.
apnews.com
NHL postpones upcoming New York Islanders games due to Covid-19 outbreak | CNN
New York Islanders games have been postponed through at least Tuesday due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the team, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Saturday.
www.cnn.com
