
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump turned to the Supreme Court on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to keep documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol led by his supporters.

Biden signs bills on forced labor in China, ALS research
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Thursday to block imports from China's Xinjiang region unless businesses can prove the items were made without forced labor, the latest in a series of intensifying U.S.


Putin urges West to meet his demands quickly over Ukraine crisis
The Russian leader held his annual news conference as tensions with the U.S. soar over growing concerns about Moscow's troop buildup on its border with Ukraine.


Biden says he supports filibuster carve-out for voting rights | CNN Politics
President Joe Biden says he supports making an exception to the Senate filibuster rules in order to pass voting rights legislation.


For GOP, national party line trumps bringing home the bacon
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport's 81-year-old Centennial Bridge across the Mississippi River creaks under the weight of tens of thousands of cars and trucks every day. Rust shows through its chipped silver paint, exposing the steel that needs replacing.


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.


Biden has 'never supported defunding the police,' White House says after congresswoman carjacked
The White House reiterated its opposition to defunding the police on Thursday and cited its efforts on behalf of law enforcement after a Democratic member of Congress was carjacked at gunpoint.


Kanye West publicist pressed Georgia election worker to confess to bogus fraud charges
Weeks after the 2020 election, a Chicago publicist for hip-hop artist Kanye West traveled to the suburban home of Ruby Freeman, a frightened Georgia election worker who was facing death threats after being falsely accused by former President Donald Trump of manipulating votes. The publicist...


Democrats look to scale back Biden bill to get it passed
Momentum is growing for narrowing the scope of President Biden’s social spending and climate package as Democrats seek a way to get the bill through the Senate with Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) sup…


40 federal judges confirmed in 2021; Biden nominates 2 more
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday made two final nominations to the federal bench this year as he caps his first year in office with 40 judges confirmed , the most since Ronald Reagan was president.


Buttigieg doles out $241M to US ports to boost supply chain
WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is awarding more than $241 million in grants to bolster U.S ports, part of the Biden administration's near-term plan to address America's clogged supply chain with infrastructure improvements to speed the flow of goods.


Republicans are trying to pin the ‘Big Lie’ on Stacey Abrams
The Georgia gubernatorial candidate has held firm in not conceding her prior bid in 2018.


Paranoid Putin claims US is trying to partition Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin remains undecided about whether to expand the war in Ukraine, American officials believe, as a fusillade of aggressive rhetoric has set the stage for a suspense-filled holiday season.


Russian buildup near Ukraine gains steam, new satellite images show
The release of the images came hours after Moscow and Washington traded warnings over what might come next in the tense standoff.


Trump pushes back on Candace Owens: ‘People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine’
Former President Trump in an interview with conservative media personality Candace Owens pushed back over her claims undermining the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.In a Tuesday episode of …


Opinion | How Trump sycophant Rep. Scott Perry is ratcheting up the Jan. 6 stakes
Rep. Scott Perry's response to the House's Jan. 6 investigation constitutes an attack on the legitimacy of the committee — and the government itself.


Amazon workers in the US now face fewer hurdles to organise
Labour organisation and worker activity is on the rise at Amazon facilities across the United States.

Trump admits he suddenly finds it ‘very tough’ to slam Biden after surprising vaccine comments
“It is a little tough to be overly critical now because he just thanked us for the vaccine and thanked me for what I did.”


Republican Senate candidate says she won't support McConnell for party leader
A Republican Senate candidate said she would not support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as party leader in the upper chamber.

A year ago, Fox News considered a breakup with Trump. 2021 changed those plans.
In the weeks before the 2020 election, as Fox News executives and luminaries came to terms with its possible outcome, some began to see in it a long-awaited opportunity - a chance to break up with Donald Trump. Even the president sensed a growing distance from the network that was once so...

House panel asks Supreme Court to say by mid-January whether it's taking Trump's January 6 records case | CNN Politics
Former President Donald Trump appealed to the Supreme Court on Thursday to block the release of documents from his White House to the House committee investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol, escalating his effort to keep about 700 pages of records secret.


Potential DOJ suits against Apple and Google delayed amid budget woes
Antitrust prosecutors had aimed to wrap up their probes of the two tech giants by Dec. 31. But now a decision on whether to sue could come in March or later.


Kim Potter guilty of manslaughter in Daunte Wright's death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser was convicted of manslaughter Thursday in the death of Daunte Wright, prompting tears from the young Black man’s parents and a jubilant celebration by supporters outside the courthouse who...


What wont happen with Build Back Better likely dead
Free preschool. Subsidized child care. Medicaid expansion. Paid family and medical leave. Those initiatives and others could be in jeopardy if Manchin’s decision sinks the roughly $2 trillion Build Back Better bill.

Biden signs historic bill punishing China for Uyghur genocide
President Biden signed a bill Thursday banning imports from China's Xinjiang region and punishing the Chinese government for its genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, per a White House release. Why it matters: Human rights activists say the bill will impose the first substantive costs...

Kamala Harris confides media coverage would be different if she were white and male
Vice President Kamala Harris told close allies that negative news coverage would be different if she were like any of her predecessors, who were all white males.


After a nearly half-century in public office, Biden faces his most consequential test yet
For a man who rode into the presidency on a platform of Washington know-how, he now confronts perhaps his most consequential test yet: Can he save his domestic agenda?


Biden appoints second Black woman to DC Circuit, a known stepping stone to the Supreme Court
President Biden named his 12th round of judicial nominees, including possible Supreme Court pick Judge Michelle Childs.

White House says it is 'grateful' Trump got, promoted COVID-19 booster shot
The White House is grateful that former U.S. President Donald Trump received and promoted getting the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday.

Capitol rioters hit with severe sentences and sharp reprimands from judges
Some of the longest sentences have gone to rioters charged with ‘assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon’ A federal judge sentenced Jacob Chansley, nicknamed the ‘QAnon shaman’, to 41 months in prison. Photograph: Johnny Silvercloud/Shutterstock Judges across the US have been handing...

CNN Exclusive: US intel and satellite images show Saudi Arabia is now building its own ballistic missiles with help of China | CNN Politics
US intelligence agencies have assessed that Saudi Arabia is now actively manufacturing its own ballistic missiles with the help of China, CNN has learned, a development that could have significant ripple effects across the Middle East and complicate the Biden administration's efforts to restrain...


Cuomo won't be charged in Nassau County over sexual misconduct allegations
Prosecutors in Nassau County, New York, will not bring charges against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over sexual misconduct allegations that came out of a state attorney general's investigation.
‘It’s time to take action’: faith leaders urge Biden to pass voting rights legislation
A letter organized by Martin Luther King III and his wife comes after Republicans successfully filibustered bills four times this year Activists rally for federal voting rights legislation outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on 9 December. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/AP More than...

U.S. to allow waiving of in-person interviews for H-1B, other visas through 2022
The United States will allow its consular officers to waive in-person interviews for H-1B and other certain non-immigrant visa applicants through next year to help reduce visa wait times, the State Department said on Thursday.


New law to combat forced labor in China sparks enforcement debate
Congress “brought down the hammer” with Uyghur Act, U.S. businesses complain.


Trooper’s sexual misconduct allegation against Andrew Cuomo found ‘credible’ but ‘not criminal’
A Long Island acting district attorney said in a statement on Thursday that allegations of inappropriate touching made by a state trooper against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) were found to…


Biden signs law banning goods made in China’s Xinjiang region
New rules imposed by Congress require Xinjiang exporters to US to prove products were not made by forced labour.

Georgia election workers file second suit over fraud claims
ATLANTA (AP) — Two Georgia election workers filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing a right-wing cable news channel and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of defaming them by falsely claiming they engaged in ballot fraud during the 2020 election.


Biden's honesty questioned after broken COVID and spending promises
Last year, President Joe Biden ripped his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, for having a slippery relationship with the truth. Now a majority of the public harbors similar concerns about Biden as his first 12 months in office come to a close.


US delays intelligence center targeting foreign influence
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Russia was working to subvert U.S. elections and sow discord among Americans, Congress directed the creation of an intelligence center to lead efforts to stop interference by foreign adversaries.


House Jan. 6 probe seeks information from Rep. Jim Jordan about his contact with Trump
The select committee wants to ask Republican Rep. Jim Jordan about his communications with then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6.

Cuomo lashes out at AG James after prosecutors decline to charge him in sexual misconduct allegation
Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lashed out at New York Attorney General Letitia James Wednesday following an announcement he will not be charged in a sexual assault allegation.

Biden signs bill banning goods from China's Xinjiang over abuse of Uyghurs
The measure is part of the U.S. pushback against Beijing's treatment of the China's Uyghur Muslim minority, which Washington has labeled genocide.

Heir Apparent or Afterthought? The Frustrations of Kamala Harris.
WASHINGTON — The president needed the senator from West Virginia on his side, but he wasn’t sure he needed his vice president to get him there. It was summertime, and President Joe Biden was under immense pressure to win the support of Sen. Joe Manchin, whose decisive vote in a 50-50 chamber...

Minnesota AG thankful for 'accountability' but 'wouldn't wish anyone' Potter's fate
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that former police officer Kim Potter's guilty verdict for the death of Daunte Wright was a step toward accountability while also offering condolences to Potter and her family.


EXPLAINER: What was Potter charged with in Wright death?
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A white suburban Minneapolis police officer has been found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright, a Black man.


Trump again publicly defends COVID-19 vaccines, but slams mandates
Donald Trump publicly defended the COVID-19 vaccines and their efficacy, but decried mask and vaccine mandates, in an interview posted online on Tuesday.

Biden signs bipartisan bill to block importation of Chinese goods produced through forced labor
President Biden signed legislation designed to restrict Chinese imports in response to persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Drugmaker Endo strikes $63 million opioid settlement with Texas
Endo International Plc has agreed to pay $63 million to resolve claims by the state of Texas and local governments that the drugmaker helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic, the state's attorney general said on Thursday.


US has reunited 100 children taken from parents under Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Biden administration effort to reunite children and parents who were separated under President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance border policy has made increasing progress as it nears the end of its first year.

Federal judge in Florida temporarily blocks Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors
A federal judge on Wednesday granted Florida's request for a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration's order requiring federal contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19.Driving the news: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced the lawsuit in October, arguing that the mandate...

Biden tells Muir on filibuster exception for voting rights: 'whatever it takes'
President Joe Biden sat down for an exclusive interview at the White House with ABC "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir.

Another woman accuses Chris Noth of sexual assault, calls for New York to change statute of limitations
Lawyer Gloria Allred said her client, Lisa Gentile, "believes that breaking her silence may help others who have been victimized by powerful men in their lives."


Biden touts bipartisan effort to pass ALS bill during signing
President Biden praised lawmaker's on both sides of the aisle while signing a bill that will authorize funding for research and treatment of ALS

A new Hun rises: Cambodia’s ruling party meets to plot its future
Cambodian People’s Party set to choose a future successor to Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest serving leaders.

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

Passenger seen on video punching flight attendant pleads guilty, DOJ says | CNN
A woman who punched a flight attendant on a May Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Diego pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight attendant, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ted Cruz confident of 2024 chances despite Trump hinting he'll run
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told conservative outlet the Truth Gazette in an interview published Wednesday he believes he's well-placed to be selected as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.Driving the news: Brilyn Hollyhand, the 15-year-old founder and editor-in-chief of the...

Trump renews praise for Covid vaccines, 'one of the greatest achievements of mankind'
Trump was booed by an audience in Dallas on Sunday after revealing he got his Covid booster shot.


Sen. Cruz says he'd run for president in 2024 'in a heartbeat'
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said again on Wednesday that he would be "absolutely" open to running for president in the future, recalling his unsuccessful 2016 run in which he placed second.

WATCH: Wisconsin police respond to 100+ car pileup on highway amid icy road conditions
Wisconsin police responded Thursday to a traffic accident on I-94 reportedly involving more than 100 vehicles.


Los Angeles police kill 14-year-old girl while firing at assault suspect in Burlington store
Police opened fire during the attempted takedown of an assault suspect, killing him and a teen girl who was inside a dressing room.
www.usatoday.com

Congressional panel will investigate Live Nation's role in Astroworld tragedy | CNN Politics
A congressional panel will investigate Live Nation Entertainment, the concert promoter behind the tragic Astroworld Festival that left 10 people dead and hundreds injured last month.

The Obscure Charge Jan. 6 Investigators Are Looking at for Trump
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyAs federal prosecutors increasingly use an obscure criminal charge to jail Jan. 6 insurrectionists, congressional investigators seem to be building a case that could result in that same charge against former President Donald Trump.A...

Texas board withdraws pardon recommendation for George Floyd
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas board that had unanimously supported a posthumous pardon for George Floyd over a 2004 drug arrest in Houston backpedaled in an announcement Thursday, saying “procedural errors" were found in their recommendation months after leaving the decision to Republican Gov.


AP Exclusive: Polish opposition senator hacked with spyware
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Sen. Krzysztof Brejza’s mobile phone was hacked with sophisticated spyware nearly three dozen times in 2019 when he was running the opposition's campaign against the right-wing populist government in parliamentary elections, an internet watchdog found.


Pope demands humility in new zinger-filled Christmas speech
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis urged Vatican cardinals, bishops and bureaucrats Thursday to embrace humility this Christmas season, saying their pride, self-interest and the “glitter of our armor” was perverting their spiritual lives and corrupting the church’s mission.


McConnell's message to Thune: 'The country needs him in the Senate'
Longtime Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell is urging Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, one of his top allies in the chamber, to run for reelection next year.

CNN Exclusive: Hundreds of faith leaders demand more from Biden and other Democrats on voting rights legislation | CNN Politics
More than 800 faith leaders are urging President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats to pass voting rights legislation in 2022, writing in a letter released Thursday that the issue needs to be the administration's "number-one priority" after measures stalled in the Senate.

China isn't the only nation nixing crypto. 50 other countries have placed bans on digital currencies to date.
Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, and Tunisia have outlawed crypto, according to the Library of Congress.

US denies man held in Turkey for fake passport is diplomat
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — U.S. officials denied Thursday that an American citizen arrested in Turkey for allegedly providing a fake passport to a Syrian man is a U.S. diplomat. Turkish officials said Wednesday they detained a U.S.


Satanic temple installs display at Illinois Capitol
This is not a baby goat you will want to hold.


GOP steps up flirtation with Manchin
Republicans are flirting with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) as he faces backlash from his own party over his opposition to Build Back Better. GOP senators, most of whom are friendly with Manchin,…


Supply shortages and emboldened workers: A changed economy
Employees at a fast-food restaurant in Sacramento, California, exasperated over working in stifling heat for low wages, demanded more pay and a new air conditioner — and got both.


Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial concludes first week of deliberations without a verdict | CNN Business
Elizabeth Holmes' fate in her criminal fraud trial will not be decided before Christmas as the jury failed to reach a verdict in its first week of deliberations.


2 dead in submerged car as California storm worries spread
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heavy overnight rains in Northern California left two people dead in a submerged car as authorities on Thursday ordered evacuations for a fire-scarred Southern California canyon area because of possible mud and debris flows.


U.S. delays intelligence center targeting foreign influence
The intelligence community and Congress remain divided over the center’s mission, budget and size.


2021 Notebook: US withdrawal and Afghanistan's next chapter
THE BACKGROUND: For Afghanistan, 2021 was punctuated by the chaos of a U.S. withdrawal and an uncertain next chapter. The Taliban, who were unseated as the country's rulers by a U.S.-led coalition after the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago, could not be stopped by a collapsing Afghan military and...


Silicon Valley and D.C. to meet at CES
A slew of lawmakers, agency officials, and other D.C. honchos is headed to Las Vegas next month to weigh in on the state of tech.

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Come to His Rescue in Jan. 6 Battle
Tasos Katopodis/GettyIt was bound to be a bitter fight to the very end.Former President Donald Trump has taken his battle to keep his White House records secret from the House Jan. 6 Committee all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, filing a petition on Thursday asking justices to step in and...

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas celebration dealt new disappointment: Princess Anne won't be there
Her Majesty's only daughter, Princess Anne, won't be at Christmas lunch at Windsor Castle because her husband tested positive for COVID-19.
www.usatoday.com

Changing climate parches Afghanistan, exacerbating poverty
SANG-E-ATASH, Afghanistan (AP) — Fed by rain and snowmelt from mountains, this valley nestled among northwestern Afghanistan’s jagged peaks was once fertile. But the climate has changed in the last few decades, locals say, leaving the earth barren and its people struggling to survive.


WHO investigating mysterious illness in South Sudan that has killed nearly 100 people
The World Health Organization is investigating a mysterious illness in South Sudan that has killed dozens of people.

11-year-old boy saves choking school mate and woman from a fire in same day
An 11-year-old boy from Oklahoma performed the Heimlich maneuver on a classmate and helped a woman escape a fire in her home.

Jailed parents of Michigan school shooting suspect ask for lower bail
James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of suspected shooter Ethan Crumbley, have asked that their bails be reduced.


Taliban have halted all evacuee flights out of Kabul for past 2 weeks
The Taliban want to use the flights to send their own people abroad to earn desperately needed money. The Afghan economy is in tatters.


Judge in Maxwell trial asked jurors to deliberate Thursday. They said, 'No, thank you' | CNN
Jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial have paused their deliberations until Monday morning in New York.

Biden Promised ‘Normal’ And Got It: Getting Blamed For Things Outside His Control
A president’s power over things like inflation are limited at best while some GOP governors work to sabotage his efforts to end the COVID pandemic.

19-year-old charged in armed carjacking incident involving Democratic lawmaker | CNN Politics
Federal prosecutors have charged a Delaware man with carjacking Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania and using a firearm during a crime of violence, the Justice Department announced Thursday.


Former Boston College student charged in boyfriend's suicide pleads guilty
A former Boston College student charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with her boyfriend's suicide pleaded guilty Thursday.

'Major industrial accident' at Exxon Mobil plant in Texas, sheriffs say
Authorities in Texas said they were investigating a "major industrial accident" at the Exxon Mobil Baytown Area plant.

Dozens of vehicles crashed on icy interstate in Wisconsin
No deaths were reported, officials say. The Wisconsin State Patrol classified the crash not as a pileup but as several secondary crashes around a larger crash.


What's inside that 1887 time capsule opened in Confederacy's capital
An 1887 time capsule was opened in Richmond, Virginia, Wednesday after being unearthed from the base of the now-removed statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Texas refinery blast could help push gas prices above $4 a gallon | CNN Business
The blast at a Texas oil refinery early Thursday will probably push already high gasoline prices even higher — although not immediately.


Snow storm, heavy rain expected to slam parts of the West through Christmas weekend
Winter weather alerts are in effect across much of the Mountain West.

Fire breaks out at mansion of former Virginia governor and LBJ's daughter
A fire broke out Tuesday night at the Virginia mansion owned by former Gov. Chuck Robb in McLean, Virginia.


Forecasters: New Mexico should brace for worsening drought
The last three months have been very dry in New Mexico and it’s going to get worse

James Franco: I'll admit, I did sleep with students
The actor paid $2.2m (£1.6m) after being sued over "sexually-charged behaviour towards female students".
www.bbc.com

Stray bullet kills 14-year-old girl during police shooting at LA clothing store
A reported assault at a Los Angeles clothing store on Thursday resulted in one injury and the deaths of two people, one of whom was the suspect police were responding to apprehend.&n…



To grandmother's house or no? Omicron disrupts holiday plans
Dave Fravel and his wife invited several relatives to their Cape Cod home for Christmas to share food, gifts and the togetherness they’ve longed for during the lonely days of the pandemic. They were also looking forward to a holiday sightseeing trip to New York City.


FDA authorizes Merck pill for COVID-19 treatment
The FDA on Thursday authorized a Merck pill for COVID-19 treatment following authorization of a Pfizer pill on Wednesday.

Daily COVID-19 infections surpass summer peak
The United States has surpassed its summer peak of COVID-19 infections, with a seven-day average of more than 168,000 cases, according to New York Times data.Data from the Centers for Disease Contr…


Trump to Candace Owens: 'People aren't dying when they take the vaccine'
Former President Donald Trump defended the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines when pushed by conservative pundit Candace Owens.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has boasted about being unvaccinated, owns stock in 3 major vaccine makers
Insider's Conflicted Congress project revealed Greene holds AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson stock, each worth between $1,000 and $15,000.

Omicron up to 70% less likely to need hospital care
However, a major report showed the protection from catching Covid started to wane 10 weeks after the booster.
www.bbc.com

Search for a COVID-19 test means sold-out signs, long lines
President Joe Biden promised to distribute hundreds of millions of free COVID-19 tests and to open more testing sites, but the stepped-up efforts will not come in time for the holidays

Newly authorized Covid pills won't change course of pandemic right away
The initial rollout of the antivirals will be slow: Supply is limited, and physicians must determine who's best suited for each drug.


Biden says he wishes he thought about ordering 500 million at-home Covid tests 2 months ago
President Joe Biden said that he wishes he had ordered 500 million free, at-home Covid tests two months ago.

Some good pandemic news to end a bad pandemic year
A new Covid treatment and more promising signs on Omicron's severity.


US sets shorter COVID-19 isolation rules for health workers
NEW YORK (AP) — Worried that a new COVID-19 wave could overwhelm understaffed U.S. hospitals, federal officials on Thursday loosened rules that call on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 days if they test positive.


Americans looking for leadership on Covid find disappointment | CNN Politics
Americans can expect their governments, run by Republicans or Democrats, will be caught off guard by a pandemic. But as Covid-19 surges on, Washington has returned to its partisan sniping and general paralysis.


Biden Omicron measures too little, too late for fast-moving virus -experts
U.S. President Joe Biden's steps to backstop hospitals and distribute coronavirus test kits, however welcome, are too little too late to stem a surge of Omicron-related coronavirus cases over Christmas and New Year, health experts said.


Sen. Coons announces he tested positive for COVID-19
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) announced on Twitter Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Opinion | Biden’s Big Covid Mistake: Overconfidence and Overpromising
Biden, like Trump, has been too rosy, only to see extensive spread and high death counts on his watch.


Anti-mask parents not constitutionally allowed to change school rules, says federal judge
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit from two Nevada parents seeking to challenge the state’s public school mask mandate, saying in her ruling that parents did not have the co…


7 Pentagon staffers test positive for Covid after official trip
Marines also announce that more troops have been kicked out for refusing the vaccine.


White House defends efforts to bolster COVID-19 testing supply
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday defended the Biden administration’s efforts to ramp up at-home coronavirus testing amid a nationwide shortage of tests.Psaki said that President Bi…


Psaki asked 'why didn't anyone think' to order COVID tests earlier, blames lack of demand earlier this year
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that a lack of demand for COVID-19 tests earlier this year handicapped the United States' ability to ramp up supply.

Overwhelmed U.S. Midwest hospitals prepare for worst with Omicron
The rapid spread of Omicron infections has hospitals in the U.S. Midwest "preparing for the worst," with their intensive care units and medical personnel already severely strained from a wave of the potent Delta variant of COVID-19.


More Marines discharged over vaccine refusal, total at 169
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Marine Corps discharged 66 Marines in the past week for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine as mandated by the military, outpacing the other services at discipline related to the shots.


Owner of diner that stayed open despite lockdown dies of COVID-19
John Parney Sr., a Quincy, Mich., diner owner who kept his business open in defiance of COVID-19 lockdown orders, has died from complications from the virus, NBC affiliate WLIX reported. Parne…



College Football Playoff says semifinal match-ups won’t be rescheduled if COVID-19 strikes teams
The College Football Playoff announced on Wednesday that semifinal match-ups would not be rescheduled if teams struggle to fill their rosters due to COVID-19 infections, upping …


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.

Equilibrium/Sustainability — James Webb Telescope lifts off on Christmas
Today is Thursday. Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. After decades of…


Kansas governor breaks with Biden in appeal to GOP voters
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly spent 18 months sparring with Kansas’ legislative Republicans over COVID-19 measures.


Private jet firms are soaring in popularity after big COVID-19 bailouts. Were they a 'handout to the wealthy'?
A boom in private jet travel fueled by fears of flying commercial during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to scrutiny of the industry's taxpayer bailout.

Covid: Ecuador makes vaccination mandatory for most citizens
All those from the age of five must be jabbed, although people with medical reasons are exempt.
www.bbc.com
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