Wednesday, December 29th, 2021 

CDC revises estimate of Omicron’s prevalence The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday estimated the Omicron variant was responsible for about 59 percent of COVID cases nationwide in the week ending Dec. 25. The agency also substantially revised its figure for the prior week’s estimate. Originally, the agency said Omicron accounted for approximately 73 percent of cases for the week ending Dec. 18, but has now adjusted that down to 23 percent. Also on Tuesday, the FDA announced preliminary study findings which suggest rapid antigen tests “do detect the Omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity.” POLITICO 

U.S. breaks daily record for COVID cases The U.S. broke the record for daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday, when the seven-day average topped 267,000. The previous record was set on Jan. 11, 2021, when the seven-day average was 251,232. The daily COVID-19 death rate, however, has not risen to match, as in the time since, vaccines have become available to almost all Americans and the apparently milder Omicron variant has spread. Daily COVID-19 deaths averaged around 3,300 in mid-January but are now around 1,500. Some states have seen particularly high caseloads this week: Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia all reported their highest number of COVID-19 cases of the pandemic on Monday.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

China issues stay-at home orders for hundreds of thousands of people in Yan’an due to the spread of COVID-19 cases, which also resulted in a lockdown in Xi’an, the country’s largest lockdown since last year. (France 24) 

Kodiak, Alaska sets the highest temperature ever recorded in December in the state of Alaska, reaching 19.4 °C (66.9 °F). The Aleutian Islands and island communities in West Alaska have seen abnormally high temperatures since mid-December, including eight straight days of over 10 °C (50 °F) in Unalaska, including 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) on Christmas Day – the warmest Christmas temperature on record for the state. Temperature anomalies for late December reach 10–15 °C (18–27 °F) in some areas. The state also lately experiences unusually wet spells of weather. (Reuters via The Guardian)

Pro-democracy digital media Stand News shuts down in Hong Kong as police raids its offices and arrest senior executives. They are later charged with sedition in the latest crackdown related to the national security law. The Hong Kong government says that assets have been frozen and that more arrests could take place. (Forbes) 

A team of Greek divers led by Kostas Thoctarides announce the discovery of the wreck of Italian submarine Jantina south of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea. The submarine was sunk on July 5, 1941, after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Torbay. The finding has been verified by the Italian Navy’s Naval History Office. (Reuters) 

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dies at 82 Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat who became one of the longest-serving Senate majority leaders, died on Tuesday, his former chief of staff confirmed. He was 82. Reid grew up in a small mining town, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after marriage, graduated from Utah State University, and attended law school at George Washington University. Before winning his Senate seat in 1986, he was a trial lawyer, chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission, lieutenant governor, and House member. Reid served as Senate majority leader from 2007 through 2014, retired in 2016, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018. “I wouldn’t have been president had it not been for [Reid’s] encouragement and support,” former President Barack Obama wrote in a tribute. THE WASHINGTON POSTTHE WEEK 

Biden ends Omicron travel ban on 8 African countries President Biden on Tuesday revoked last month’s restrictions on travel from eight countries in southern Africa, including South Africa, where the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected. “The travel restrictions imposed by that proclamation are no longer necessary to protect the public health,” Biden said. “Moreover, the Omicron variant has now spread to more than 100 countries, and it is prevalent in the United States.”  CNN 

Jan. 6 committee agrees to shield some documents At the request of the Biden White House, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has agreed to shield some Trump administration papers. These documents “do not appear to bear on the White House’s preparations for or response to the events of Jan. 6, or on efforts to overturn the election or otherwise obstruct the peaceful transfer of power,” said a letter from White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump is bringing a case to the Supreme Court to block the committee from his administration’s records. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Pro-democracy website closes after police raid in Hong Kong Stand News, a pro-democracy website in Hong Kong, shut down Wednesday after its offices were raided by police. Six current and former staff and board members of the site were arrested, facing up to two years in prison, and Stand News subsequently announced it had closed and dismissed all employees. The last pro-democracy paper with physical distribution in Hong Kong closed in June under similar pressure from the semi-autonomous city’s government, which is increasingly under the control of Beijing. A Hong Kong police official said Stand News was raided because it had published multiple “seditious” articles in 2020 and 2021. CNN 

Gunman who killed 5 in Denver identified Law enforcement has identified the gunman who killed five people and injured several more in the Denver and Lakewood, Colorado, areas on Monday as a 47-year-old man named Lyndon McLeod. “This individual was on the radar of law enforcement,” Denver police chief Paul Pazen said at a news conference Tuesday. McLeod, who died in a shootout with police after opening fire in eight locations around the area, did not have a previous criminal record but has been linked to apparently self-published novels that feature a murderous character named “Lyndon MacLeod.” THE DENVER POST 

Prosecutor declines to charge former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said on Tuesday that two “credible” allegations of misconduct were made against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), but she is unable to file criminal charges “due to the statutory requirements of the criminal laws of New York.” Two women had accused Cuomo of kissing them without consent. Another investigation this year by the New York Attorney General’s office found that Cuomo sexually harassed several women during his time in office. Cuomo resigned following that report and faces a criminal misdemeanor charge for forcible touching. CBS NEWS 

Elizabeth Holmes jurors continue deliberations Jurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes completed a fifth day of deliberation Tuesday without reaching a verdict. The jurors, who sat through 14 weeks of testimony, will continue their deliberation Wednesday. Other high-profile white-collar cases in recent years have seen deliberations of two weeks or longer. Holmes faces 11 criminal charges and could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison. She is accused of defrauding investors in her medical startup as well as patients who used its blood testing services. AL JAZEERA 

NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden dies at 85 John Madden, the NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster whose name graces one of the most popular sports video games of all time, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, the NFL announced. He was 85. “Nobody loved football more than Coach,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “He was football.” Madden was born in Minnesota and played football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. He coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading the team to eight playoffs and a Super Bowl victory, then spent three decades as an NFL broadcaster. ESPN 

Musk sells another $1 billion in Tesla shares  Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold another 934,090 shares in the company, valued around $1 billion, per filings published Tuesday. Musk has said on Twitter he intends to reduce his Tesla holdings by about 10 percent and has nearly reached that goal. Following this sale, he still owns an estimated 15.6 Tesla million shares, together valued around $16.4 billion, and has just purchased “1.6 million Tesla shares at a strike price of $6.24 per share, granted to him via a 2012 compensation package,” CNBC reports. Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX, is the world’s wealthiest person, with an estimated worth of about $275 billion. CNBC 

Forecast predicts surge, then drop in gas prices A new forecast from price tracking app GasBuddy, reported Tuesday, predicts the national average gas price will rise from its present rate of $3.29 to peak in May at $3.79 before dropping to $3.01 by this time next year. “We could see a national average that flirts with, or in a worst-case scenario, potentially exceeds $4 a gallon,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told CNN. “The economy is hot. Demand has come roaring back. But supply is still catching up after getting cut greatly in 2020.” CNN 

LastPass denies claims of a breach Password management service LastPass on Tuesday denied claims it had been hacked, saying compromises of its users’ passwords likely stemmed from “third-party breaches related to other unaffiliated services.” “It’s important to note that, at this time, we do not have any indication that accounts were successfully accessed or that the LastPass service was otherwise compromised by an unauthorized party,” the company said. Speculation about a LastPass breach began Monday, with users reporting illegitimate login attempts from multiple locations with a correct master password. GIZMODO 

Tuesday,  December 28th, 2021 

At least 38 people are killed in the collapse of a private gold mine in En Nahud, Sudan. (Al Jazeera) 

Delhi enters Level 1 “Yellow alert” which closes cinemas, schools, colleges, and gyms, imposes a nighttime curfew from 10 pm to 5 am, and restricts the capacity of public transport, restaurants, funerals and weddings, due to an increase in the number of Omicron variant cases. (The Times of India) 

France reports a record 179,807 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (RFI) 

Greece reports a record for the second consecutive day of 21,657 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,105,885. (Ekathimerini) 

Italy reports a record 78,313 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (La Repubblica) 

The United Kingdom reports a record 138,831 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Guardian) 

California becomes the first U.S. state and the world’s first subnational entity to surpass five million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News) 

The United States reports a record 512,553 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Deadline) 

South Africa postpones a plan to end COVID-19 contact tracing and suspend some quarantine measures in order to consider additional comments about the policy after the government received many inquiries about the plan. (Bloomberg) 

The End Wednesday 

Tuesday,  December 28th, 2021 

Judge sets hearing to reconsider truck-driver’s 110-year sentence A Colorado judge on Monday scheduled a Jan. 13 hearing to reconsider a 110-year sentence imposed on truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos for an explosive crash that killed four people in suburban Denver. The severity of the sentence provoked outrage. District Attorney Alexis King said last week she would seek a sentence of 20 to 30 years for the fiery, 2019 wreck on Interstate 70. About five million people have signed an online petition calling for clemency from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D). Judge Bruce Jones said he wanted to explore whether he could legally reduce the sentence to whatever he deemed appropriate. He said victims of the crash would be allowed to speak at the hearing. Aguilera-Mederos was hauling lumber when his brakes failed and he plowed into stopped traffic after failing to use a runaway truck ramp. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

News audiences shrink in 2021 without 2020’s hot stories   Viewership plunged at cable news networks and other outlets in 2021 as major issues that fueled intense interest in 2020 faded, The Associated Press reported Monday, citing Nielsen data. Weekday prime-time ratings fell by 38 percent at CNN, 34 percent at Fox News Channel, and 25 percent at MSNBC without audience-grabbing issues such as the presidential election and frequent racial justice protests. Broadcast television evening newscasts also saw their audiences shrink. ABC’s World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News saw their viewership fall by 12 percent. NBC’s Nightly News dropped by 14 percent. Comscore reported that unique visitors to the websites of The Washington Post and The New York Times were down by 44 percent and 34 percent, respectively, in November, compared to November 2020. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Virginia workers find 2nd time capsule at Lee statue site Virginia officials said Monday that they had found what appeared to be an 1887 time capsule at the former site of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond. Crews previously unearthed a box they thought was the collection of artifacts 19th-century officials were rumored to have placed under the monument, but it turned out to contain just mementos of men who designed the statue. This time, Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted, “They found it!” The time capsule the crews were searching for is believed to contain about 60 objects buried in a copper box by a group of residents, organizations, and businesses, according to an 1887 Richmond Dispatch article. The artifacts included Confederate memorabilia. NPR 

A massive Roman castrum dated to the reign of Caligula is discovered in Velsen, Netherlands. The site is the most northern fort found by archaeologists, and believed to be a stationing port of Caligula’s failed invasion of Britain. (The Guardian) 

The Supreme Court of Russia orders the liquidation of prominent and oldest human rights group Memorial for breaking the Russian foreign agent law. (BBC News) 

Russian police arrest two allies of opposition politician and activist Alexei Navalny, Kseniya Fadeyeva and Zakhar Sarapulov, under extremism charges. According to another of Navalny’s allies, Leonid Volkov, he had tried to persuade Fedeyeva and Sarapulov to leave Russia as he and others have done, but they refused. (Reuters) 

Biden admits supply of at-home COVID tests ‘clearly not enough’ President Biden conceded Monday that although his administration has been working to increase the availability of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 rapid tests, the efforts are “clearly not enough.” During a virtual meeting with the National Governor’s Association on the spike in cases fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant, Biden told 25 governors that when he took office there were no such tests available. He said there were almost 200 million kits available in December, but it’s still insufficient to meet demand as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads rapidly. Biden said his recently announced plan for the government to purchase 500 million at-home test kits and distribute them free to Americans who request them should help. BUSINESS INSIDER 

CDC reduces isolation time for asymptomatic coronavirus infections The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday cut the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic Americans infected with the coronavirus from 10 days to five. The decision was based on research showing that those first five days are when people are the most infectious, the CDC said. The agency also reduced the recommended quarantine time for people who are vaccinated but not boosted to five days after any coronavirus exposure. They also should wear masks for five days after their isolation is over. People who have received booster shots should wear masks for 10 days but don’t need to isolate. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives” even as the Omicron variant spreads, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Airlines cancel more flights as COVID limits crews Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights on Monday due to winter storms and a coronavirus surge fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The latest cancellations brought the total number of flights to, from, or within the United States to more than 4,000 since Christmas Eve on Friday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations. Delta, United, JetBlue, and American have said in recent days that they’ve had to trim their schedules due to staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 surge. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, said that the United States should consider requiring vaccinations for air travel to encourage more people to get vaccinated and help curb infections. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

New York vaccine mandate on businesses takes effect New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday launched the nation’s broadest vaccine mandate on private businesses. Under the policy, all employers in the city must verify that in-person workers have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. If in-person workers got the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, they must provide proof they got the second dose within 45 days. De Blasio, who is in his last week as mayor, said he was “100 percent convinced this was the right thing to do.” It was not immediately clear what his successor, Mayor-elect Eric Adams, would do about the mandate. Some business leaders have said the city should give workers the option of taking regular COVID-19 tests instead of getting the shots. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin tests positive for COVID-19 U.S. alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin announced via Twitter on Monday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. Shiffrin, a 26-year-old three-time Olympic medalist, is the first high-profile American athlete to be infected with the coronavirus in the run-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, which start on Feb. 4. Her illness served as a reminder that between now and the opening ceremony, anyone can be knocked out of competition at any time as many countries see record numbers of new infections due to the highly infectious new Omicron coronavirus variant. Shiffrin said she was in isolation and would miss this week’s World Cup races in Lienz, Austria. A spokesperson for U.S. Ski and Snowboard said Shiffrin hoped to return for a World Cup tour event in Zagreb, Croatia, next week. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Israeli hospital tests 4th vaccine dose for health-care workers Israel’s Sheba Medical Center on Monday started giving a fourth coronavirus vaccine dose to a test group of health-care workers as the country considers giving an extra shot to people at risk of severe COVID-19 as the Omicron variant drives a spike in infections. The trial involves 150 medical workers who got their first booster before Aug. 20, and have antibody counts below 700, meaning they have low protection, the hospital said in a statement. “It’s one jab in the shoulder, but one giant leap for mankind,” said Jacob Levee, director of the hospital’s heart transplant unit and the first recipient of the fourth vaccine at Sheba. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that the country would be the first to offer a fourth Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose to health workers, citizens over age 60, and people with compromised immune systems. THE WASHINGTON POST 

The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, Israel, begins the world’s first clinical trial of fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, involving 150 medical personnel, in order to determine if a fourth dose can provide extra immunity against COVID-19. (Voice of America) 

The health ministry reduces the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months, citing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel) 

A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel kills at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forces farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens in what authorities say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation’s history. (The Washington Post) 

Syrian state media reports that Israel has bombed the Port of Latakia in Latakia, Syria. The IDF has not confirmed it. If confirmed, this is the second airstrike on the facility this month. Secondary explosions are believed to be from Iranian munitions stored at the facility. (Times of Israel) 

Massive damage at the port is reported from the air raid with most of the port on fire, though there are no immediate reports of casualties from the attack. Videos on social media show multiple large explosions and anti-aircraft fire over the city. A hospital, some residential buildings and shops were also badly damaged. (Al Jazeera) 

Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo) 

Swissmedic approves the use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people over the age of 18 years, which can be administered two months after the first dose, or six months after a person receives mixed vaccinations with mRNA-based vaccines. (UrduPoint) 

French prime minister Jean Castex announces that, for the next three weeks, all public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors. Work from home will be mandated where possible, and outdoor mask wearing will be mandatory in city centres. The interval between the second dose and the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will also be reduced to three months in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian) 

The Greek government announces new restrictions that will be in effect from January 3 until at least January 16, which include mandatory high-protection or double mask wearing in supermarkets and on public transport, closure of entertainment and hospitality venues at midnight, reinstating work from home policies for up to 50% of employees, and reducing the capacity of sports stadiums to 10%. This comes after the country reported a record 9,284 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Ekathimerini) 

Iceland reports a record 672 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (RÚV) 

South Australia reports a record 842 new cases in the past 24 hours. The state also reports their first death from COVID-19 since April 2020 in a 92-year-old woman. (ABC News Australia) 

LAPD release video after police stray bullet killed girl, 14  Los Angeles police released body-camera video showing officers responding to a Dec. 23 report of an assault suspect in a clothing store before they opened fire, killing a 14-year-old girl with a stray bullet as she hid in a dressing room. The scene was chaotic, with several officers approaching the suspect with guns drawn. The girl apparently was hit by one of three rifle shots a police officer fired at the suspect, Daniel Elena-Lopez, who was killed, police said. Other officers can be heard telling the officer who fired to “slow down.” Local media have identified the girl as Valentina Orellana-Peralta. She reportedly came to the United States from Chile six months ago, and was shopping with her mother for a dress for her quinceañera, a 15th birthday celebration in Hispanic traditions. REUTERS 

Riot Games agrees to $100 million gender discrimination settlement Video-game maker Riot Games announced Monday that it had agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class-action gender discrimination lawsuit filed in 2018 that covers more than 2,000 current and former female employees. The settlement initially was set for $10 million, but two California employment agencies last year blocked it, saying the women should get far more. The state separately was investigating claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, unequal pay, and retaliation against women at Riot, which is behind League of Legends, Valorant, and other popular titles. Under the agreement, more than 1,000 full-time employees and 1,300 contractors would split $80 million. The rest would cover costs, including lawyers’ fees. Riot also would fund a diversity and inclusion program. MARKETWATCH 

Monday,  December 27th, 2021 

Putin threatens military action if NATO rejects ultimatum Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that he will be forced to consider numerous options, including a military response, if NATO does not guarantee to bar Ukraine from membership in the alliance. Putin also called for reducing Western military deployments in Eastern Europe. His demands were contained in a pair of draft treaties Russia submitted to NATO earlier this month. Putin, whose remarks aired on Russian state TV Sunday, expressed concerns that missiles could be deployed in Ukraine if the former Soviet satellite joins NATO. “We have nowhere to retreat,” Putin said. “They have pushed us to a line that we can’t cross.” NATO is unlikely to agree to Putin’s terms. “NATO member countries decide who is a member of NATO, not Russia,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Fauci warns Omicron surge will continue pushing cases higher COVID-19 cases, already at record levels in some areas, will probably continue to climb as the “extraordinarily contagious” Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “Every day it goes up and up. The last weekly average was about 150,000 and it likely will go much higher.” Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, warned that although Omicron appears to cause less severe symptoms and fewer hospitalizations than other strains, Americans shouldn’t be complacent because the sheer number of infections “might override a real diminution in severity.” He said “we’re particularly worried” about unvaccinated people, who are “the most vulnerable ones.” The surge has spurred a rush for at-home COVID-19 tests, causing many pharmacies to run out. ABC NEWS 

Airlines continue to cancel flights due to COVID surge U.S. airlines continued to cancel flights on Sunday due to surging coronavirus infections among crews, as well as severe winter weather in some places. Commercial airlines canceled 1,001 flights, both domestic and international departures and arrivals. It was the third straight day of a wave of cancellations that disrupted travel for thousands of Christmas travelers. There were 997 flights called off on Christmas and nearly 700 on Christmas Eve. Thousands of other departures were delayed over the holiday weekend. A White House official noted that only a “small percentage” of flights were affected, putting the nation “in a better place than last Christmas,” which also came during a coronavirus surge.  REUTERS 

France surpasses 100,000 daily coronavirus infections for 1st time France reported Sunday that it has confirmed more than 100,000 new coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time. The high mark was the latest sign that the highly transmissible new Omicron variant is fueling an explosive surge across Europe, where many countries have imposed new lockdowns and other restrictions in hopes of curbing new infections. More than 1 in 100 people in Paris and surrounding areas have tested positive in the last week, the regional health service confirmed. While most of the new cases were linked to Omicron, which is believed to cause less severe COVID-19, a stubborn surge of infections with the Delta variant is keeping hospital admissions high. President Emmanuel Macron’s government has scheduled a Monday meeting to discuss new measures to address the crisis. BLOOMBERG 

Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo) 

South Korea authorizes the emergency use of the anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid manufactured by Pfizer for high-risk patients aged above 12 years, becoming the first drug to be approved in the country. (Yonhap News Agency) 

China reports 206 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases in 21 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 101,077. (The Straits Times) 

China scraps ban on foreign ownership of passenger car manufacturers A Chinese planning authority said Monday that Beijing would start allowing full foreign ownership of passenger car manufacturing starting Jan. 1, 2022. China’s Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission released the latest list of industries excluded from foreign investment, and passenger car manufacturing wasn’t on it. The change marked the latest in a series of moves China has made to ease rules on foreign ownership in its auto industry. Monday’s release named 31 areas in which foreign investment remains banned or restricted. Those included rare earths, film production, and tobacco products. In some industries, including medical institutions, foreign firms have to establish joint ventures with local partners that typically hold the majority stake. CNBC 

Iran bans all travellers from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days and indefinitely suspends all land travel to Turkey due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Arab News) 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases a video on social media threatening to destroy the Israeli city of Dimona and a nearby nuclear facility in the Negev desert. (The Jerusalem Post) 

2 Save the Children workers missing after Myanmar massacre kills 38 Save the Children said over the weekend that 38 people were killed by the Burmese military in eastern Myanmar on Christmas Eve, and that two of the humanitarian organization’s staff members went missing in the attack. Members of Myanmar’s military reportedly attacked three vehicles, including one the Save the Children staffers were using to drive home for the holidays, and burned them. “We have confirmation that their private vehicle was attacked and burned out. The military reportedly forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed others and burned their bodies,” said the organization. The military said the vehicles had failed to stop for inspection and soldiers returned fire when “terrorists” started shooting. Save the Children said it would suspend operations in parts of Myanmar. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Holiday spending rose at fastest pace in 17 years Holiday sales jumped by 8.5 percent this year compared to the same period in 2020, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported Sunday. The results marked the fastest growth in 17 years but fell slightly short of the 8.8 percent gain forecast in September, before consumers were hit with rising prices, product shortages, and a surge of coronavirus cases caused by the highly infectious new Omicron variant. The results covered Nov. 1 through Dec. 24. Clothing saw the biggest jump, 47 percent, followed by jewelry and electronics at 32 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Sales remained strong after Omicron hit just after Thanksgiving, although many shoppers shifted purchases online.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ box office haul surpasses $1 billion Spider-Man: No Way Home continued its strong run at the box office over the weekend, becoming the first film in the pandemic era to top $1 billion in global ticket sales. The feat by the co-production between Sony and Disney was all the more impressive because it came as the Omicron coronavirus variant is making many people more cautious about going to theaters instead of streaming movies at home. “Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s sprint to $1 billion within the context of this still pandemically challenged marketplace is nothing short of astonishing,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It demonstrates the power of a great movie to draw fans around the world to enjoy the shared and communal experience that only the movie theater can provide.” CNBC 

The Taliban regime dissolves Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission, saying that “there is no need for these commissions to exist and operate”. (Al Jazeera) 

The End

Sunday, December 26th, 2021 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases a video on social media threatening to destroy the Israeli city of Dimona, and a nearby nuclear facility in the Negev desert. (The Jerusalem Post) 

China reports 206 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases in 21 months, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 101,077. (The Straits Times) 

The Taliban regime dissolves the Independent Election Commission, saying “there is no need for these commissions to exist and operate” in Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera) 

Airlines cancel thousands of Christmas flights due to staff shortages Airlines canceled more than 2,500 flights Christmas Day, including 880 within, into, or out of the United States. Delta, for example, canceled 14 percent of its Christmas flights. As Omicron spreads and large numbers of employees call in sick, airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with demand for flights while also keeping staff and passengers safe. Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, ticketholders whose flights are canceled are entitled to refunds. NPR 

Trudeau calls for united front against China Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for Western nations to stand in solidarity against China in a televised interview that aired Saturday. “We need to do a better job of working together and standing strong so China can’t play the angles and divide us one against the other,” Trudeau said. Canada announced earlier this month that it will boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest China’s human rights abuses. REUTERS 

In Christmas message, pope warns against becoming desensitized Pope Francis delivered his annual Christmas address from a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square Saturday. The pope highlighted the social costs of the pandemic — including loneliness and increased rates of domestic violence — as well as ongoing conflicts in the Syria, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. “Our capacity for social relationships is sorely tried,” he said. “We continue to witness a growing number of conflicts, crises and disagreements. These never seem to end and by now we hardly even notice them.” BBC 

Suicide bomber kills 6 in Congolese region beset by Islamist violence A suicide bomber detonated his device outside a restaurant in the Congolese city of Beni Saturday, killing 6 people and injuring 14 others. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Congolese and Ugandan forces have been waging an ongoing campaign in the region against the Allied Democratic Forces, an ISIS-affiliated Islamist terror group, since November. “We rushed to the exit where I saw people lying down. There were green plastic chairs scattered everywhere and I also saw heads and arms no longer attached. It was really horrible,” restaurant patron Rachel Magali said. REUTERS 

Over 10,000 Russian troops return to base after drills near Ukrainian border More than 10,000 Russian troops have returned to their bases after a month of drilling on the Ukrainian border, the Russian military announced Saturday. Despite this reduction, Russia still has tens of thousands of troops stationed on the Ukrainian border, and intelligence analysts continue to warn that an invasion could be imminent. Russian state media frequently refers to Ukraine as “a colony of the West” and accuses Ukrainian forces of killing civilians in the eastern part of the country, where Ukraine’s military has been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014. BBC 

Queen’s Christmas: Elizabeth pays tribute to Philip, police arrest armed intruder In her annual Christmas message, Queen Elizabeth II reflected on the loss of her husband, Prince Philip. The Queen praised her consort, who died in April at 99, for “his sense of service, intellectual curiosity, and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation” and for his environmental activism. “Even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas,” she said. The Queen was joined at Windsor Castle by Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, and other members of the royal family. She was also nearly joined by an uninvited visitor. Police arrested a 19-year-old man who attempted to break into the castle on Christmas Day while carrying an “offensive weapon.” CNN 

16 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Greek coast A boat carrying migrants capsized late Friday in the Aegean, killing 16, including one infant. Greek coast guard personnel rescued 62 survivors. This was the third fatal maritime incident in the Aegean in as many days, bringing the combined death toll to 30. More than 20,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014. Authorities say the boat appears to have been smuggling people from Turkey to Italy. Greek shipping minister Giannis Plakiotakis accused the trafficking gangs of being “indifferent to human life, stacking dozens of people, without life jackets, in vessels which do not conform to the most basic of safety standards.” THE GUARDIAN 

New space telescope launches to explore the origins of the universe The new James Webb Space Telescope blasted off successfully Saturday morning from a launch pad in French Guiana. A joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, the telescope “will peer deeper into the cosmos — and farther back in time — to open a window on the universe as it took shape soon after the Big Bang.” Though only roughly the size of a tennis court, the telescope is designed to detect light that was emitted 13.6 billion years ago, at the dawn of the universe — maybe up to as little as 100 million years after the Big Bang. THE NEW YORK POST 

World marks 30th anniversary of Soviet Union’s collapse On Christmas night, 1991, Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev resigned and relinquished his powers, including the nuclear codes, to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The flag of the USSR that flew over the Kremlin was lowered, never to be raised again. The next day, the Soviet legislature formally dissolved the Soviet Union, bringing a final end to the Cold War. “The breakup of the Soviet Union was the collapse of a historic Russia … We became a different country. What had been built over a millennium was lost to a large extent,” President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month. POLITICOWION 

Saturday, December 25th, 2021 

Asa Coast Railway announces a dual-mode vehicle that can run on roads and railways. (Dawn Magazine) 

The James Webb Space Telescope is successfully launched using the Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. (CNN) 

The global version of video game digital distribution service Steam is reportedly blocked in China. The China-only version of the service, launched in February of this year, remains accessible. (The Verge) 

The scientific committee (Pevolca) of the Canary Islands government declares that the Cumbre Vieja volcano’s eruptions on La Palma island stopped after 10 days of inactivity. However, the authorities do not consider the emergency situation to be over.(RTVE) 

The Canarian government announces that the scientific committee has terminated the eruption after 10 days of inactivity of the volcano whose eruption began on 19 September. Even so, the authorities do not consider the emergency situation to be over. (RTVE) 

A suicide bomber blows himself up at a restaurant during Christmas celebrations in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing five people and wounding 13 others. (BBC) 

The Drug Controller General of India approves the emergency use of the Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech for children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. (Hindustan Times) 

The Israeli government finalizes an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 100,000 courses of the anti-viral drug Paxlovid for high-risk patients over the age of 12 years, with delivery expected to begin in one week. (The Times of Israel) 

Turkmenistan becomes one of the first countries to approve the usage of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine. The health ministry also purchases 600,000 doses of the two-dose Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (Anadolu Agency) 

France reports a record for the third consecutive day of 104,611 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Al-Arabiya English) 

Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 54,762 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.62 million. (Il Sore 24 Ore) 

Friday,  December 24th, 2021 

Putin says the West is the one threatening Ukraine war Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a marathon news conference Thursday in which he said the West, not Russia, was stoking the threat of war on the Ukraine border. He said the West’s talk of “war, war, war,” could indicate that Kyiv is the one preparing to attack in Russia-backed separatist territories in eastern Ukraine. Putin also said in the annual news conference that Kyiv’s turn toward the West represents a security threat to Russia. Moscow has sent 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine, but Putin said he would prefer to settle tensions diplomatically. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States also sees diplomacy as the “best path,” and rejected Putin’s claim the West was threatening Moscow, saying NATO is a “defensive alliance.”THE WASHINGTON POST 

Russian president Vladimir Putin demands that NATO guarantee that it will not move its forces into Ukraine, accusing NATO and the U.S. of trying to send Ukraine and Russia into direct armed conflict. (The Irish Independent) 

After five days of military training, Iran fires sixteen ballistic missiles at a target in a show of force against Israel. The incident is part of a wider increase in tensions between the two countries. (RFI) 

Hong Kong authorities remove the Hong Kong Goddess of Democracy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus and a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre from Lingnan University campus. (Al Jazeera) 

The South African Health Department suspends COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine for people with asymptomatic cases due to 80% of the population being vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. (Bloomberg) 

A surfer is killed an apparent shark attack in Morro Bay, off the coast of California, United States. It is the first fatal shark attack in the area since 2003. (BBC) 

Japan decides not to send government delegates to the 2022 Winter Olympics, although the Japanese team will still be present. (CBC) 

The Houthis launch an airstrike on the Saudi Arabian city of Jizan, killing two people and wounding seven more. (Reuters) 

Three people are killed and six others injured during Saudi Arabian-led air raids in Ajama, Yemen. (Al Jazeera) 

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa warns that the effects of the pandemic on Africa’s economy could push the number of “extremely poor” Africans to 514 million people. The World Bank also announced a recession as the economies of African countries continue to shrink. (AP) 

The French Haute Autorité de santé [fr] recommends that booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered as soon as three months after the primary vaccination schedule due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Politico.eu) 

France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 94,122 new cases of COVID-19. (Barron’s) 

Greece cancels all public Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, as well as mandates mask wearing outdoors and requiring people to wear two masks or a high-protection mask in order to use public transport and enter supermarkets due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Independent) 

Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 50,599 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.57 million. (Reuters) 

The United Kingdom reports a record for the third consecutive day of 122,186 new cases of COVID-19. (ITV News) 

Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye is pardoned by the South Korean Justice Ministry. (Deutsche Welle) 

Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is found guilty of numerous different crimes, including rape, torture, mass murder, and killing journalists by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. (Voice of America) 

Ex-officer Kim Potter convicted of manslaughter in Daunte Wright shootingA jury on Thursday found former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter guilty of manslaughter for fatally shooting Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during an April traffic stop. Potter shouted “Taser! Taser!” before shooting Wright. Video of the incident showed her saying, “Holy s–t. I just shot him.” Wright testified that she mistook her gun for her Taser. She said she was “very distraught” after the shooting, and “didn’t want to hurt anybody.” Attorneys for Wright’s family said the “argument that she mistook her firearm for her Taser is simply beyond comprehension and a damning indictment of both her and the Brooklyn Center Police Department’s practices and training protocols.” Potter could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison on the most serious manslaughter charge.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

FDA approves a 2nd COVID-19 pill for emergency useThe Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted emergency-use authorization for Merck’s pill to treat COVID-19 in adults at high risk of severe disease and who don’t have access to alternative FDA-approved and appropriate treatment options. Merck’s drug, Molnupiravir, was approved a day after Pfizer’s COVID-19 antiviral pill became the first at-home coronavirus treatment to receive emergency-use authorization. Patients are supposed to take Molnupiravir within five days of their first symptoms. The pill is only authorized for people age 18 and up. The FDA stressed that neither drug should be considered a substitute for vaccination in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.AXIOS 

New York City to hold scaled down Times Square New Year’s celebration New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that the city would hold its traditional New Year’s celebration in Times Square, but with a reduced crowd to limit the risk of infection with the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant. Viewing areas for the event that normally can accommodate about 58,000 people will be limited to crowds totaling about 15,000 this year. Everyone attending will have to wear a mask and show proof of vaccination. “There is a lot to celebrate and these additional safety measures will keep the fully vaccinated crowd safe and healthy as we ring in the New Year,” de Blasio said. The city has been hit hard by the Omicron surge, with a single-day record of 17,200 new cases confirmed on Tuesday.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Economy shows signs of damage from Omicron spike The rapid spreading of the Omicron coronavirus variant across the United States has already started hurting the economy, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing new data from the hospitality industry. The number of people dining at U.S. restaurants was down by 22 percent in the week that ended Dec. 22, compared to the same period two years ago, according to data from reservations site OpenTable. The rate of the decline grew in December compared to late November, when the new strain was first reported in South Africa. Hotel occupancy across the U.S. was around 54 percent in the week that ended Dec. 18, down slightly from the previous week, according to hospitality analytics company STR. United and Delta airlines said Thursday they had canceled more than 200 flights on Christmas Eve, and dozens more on Christmas Day as Omicron infections affected flight crews.CNN 

Ted Kaczynski moved from Supermax prison to medical facility Ted Kaczynski, the so-called Unabomber, has been moved from a federal Supermax prison in Colorado to a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina. Kaczynski, 79, was moved to the Federal Medical Center Butner on Dec. 14, Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Donald Murphy said. Murphy declined to reveal any details on Kaczynski’s medical condition or why he was transferred. Kaczynski is serving life without the possibility of parole for a series of bombings that targeted scientists. He was arrested in 1996 at a primitive cabin in western Montana, and pleaded guilty to sending 16 homemade bombs by mail that killed three people and injured 23 others between 1978 and 1995. He spent more than 20 years in the Colorado prison. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

 Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 

Russia surpasses 600,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters) 

Russia surpasses 300,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters) 

South Africa says Omicron surge easing as fast as it started South Africa’s surge of Omicron coronavirus cases is now plummeting as fast as it rose, the country’s top infectious-disease scientist, Salim Abdool Karim, said Wednesday. After a near-vertical rise, he said in an interview, “we’re going down, right back down.” The news fueled hopes that the tidal waves of infections in the United States and other countries could peak and subside just as quickly. In the U.S., the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases hit 168,981 on Wednesday, surpassing the summertime peak of the Delta variant surge. Also on Wednesday, South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases released a study that, although it hasn’t been peer reviewed, reinforced evidence that Omicron is causing milder COVID-19 cases than previous variants. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Supreme Court sets emergency hearing on Biden vaccine mandates The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would consider legal challenges seeking to block President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandates for health-care workers and employees at large companies, with oral arguments set for a special emergency session on Jan. 7. The court said it would defer requests to place a hold on the mandates until it can review the matter. There are two challenges pending, and the high court will consider both at the same time. The cases have not yet worked their way through lower courts. The Supreme Court will decide whether the Biden administration can put the rules into effect for the time being, although the high court’s ruling is expected to indicate whether the mandates will survive. CNBC 

Preliminary data from the United Kingdom suggests the hospitalization rate of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is between 50% to 70% lower than the Delta variant. (Deutsche Welle) 

Germany reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Deutsche Welle) 

The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 119,789 new cases of COVID-19. (Sky News) 

The Italian government announces a ban of New Year’s Eve celebrations as well as all mass gatherings and closes nightclubs and bars until the end of January. The government also agree to reintroduce mandatory mask wearing outdoors and will reduce the validity of vaccine certificate to six months beginning from February 1. (MedicalXpress) 

The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.’s antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Molnupiravir for at-risk individuuals. (Global News) 

Hong Kong university removes Tiananmen massacre monument The University of Hong Kong, the city’s oldest university, on Thursday removed a statue commemorating the victims of China’s Tiananmen Square massacre. The “Pillar of Shame” depicted 50 contorted bodies, some in mid-scream. It was one of the most prominent Tiananmen monuments on Chinese soil. The Council of the University of Hong Kong said it decided to take down the statue, which had stood on campus for more than two decades, “based on external legal advice and risk assessment for the best interest of the university.” The university said the statue was being placed in storage. The move came more than a year after China imposed a new national-security law that has been followed by a crackdown on civic freedoms in Hong Kong. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

President Joe Biden signs the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law banning imports from China’s Xinjiang region citing concerns about the use of forced labour. China denies human rights abuses in Xinjiang. (Al Jazeera) 

Biden says holiday supply crisis averted President Biden said Wednesday that measures taken by his administration had eased supply-chain bottlenecks to avoid a pre-Christmas logjam. “The much-predicted crisis didn’t occur,” Biden said ahead of a meeting between government officials and leaders of major companies. “Packages are moving, gifts are being delivered, shelves are not empty.” Biden created a task force in June to address high prices and inventory shortages blamed on pandemic-related shipping and labor problems, along with high demand. The administration pushed ports to operate around the clock to clear bottlenecks, resulting in a record number of goods passing through Southern California ports, with shipping wait time cut in half. FedEx CEO Fred Smith said some issues remained but “most of Santa Claus’ products will be delivered to the consumers.” REUTERS 

FDA authorizes Pfizer’s pill to treat COVID-19 The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Pfizer’s antiviral pill Paxlovid to treat early COVID-19 cases, making it the first drug approved for people to take at home to prevent severe symptoms. The milestone came as infections and hospitalizations rise and authorities warn of a potential flood of cases due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Another antiviral pill, developed by Merck, also is expected to receive authorization soon. Health experts have high expectations for Pfizer’s drug due to its mild side effects and tests showing it reduces hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90 percent among patients at risk for severe disease. “The efficacy is high, the side effects are low, and it’s oral. It checks all the boxes,” said Dr. Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

The United States and Japan approve a plan for a joint military operation in response to a possible “Taiwan emergency”. The operation would consist of deploying U.S. Marines on the Ryukyu Islands near Taiwan, while the Japan Self-Defense Forces would provide logistical support such as ammunition and fuel supplies. (Reuters) 

The Australian Government pays a A$2,000,000 settlement to the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku to end a class action lawsuit in the Federal Court over the controversial Community Development Program, which saw unemployed Ngaanyatjarra and other Indigenous Australian people in remote communities working up to 25 hours a week otherwise unpaid in order to receive the JobSeeker payment, which is generally considered to be less than the cost of living and which is provided to other Australians in exchange for completing a fortnightly quota of job applications. The Ngaanyatjarra accused the program of being racist and a form of modern slavery. (The Guardian) 

The End Sunday post

South Korea reports a record 109 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,015. (ABC News) 

Biden extends student loan payment relief President Biden announced Wednesday that he would extend a suspension of student loan payments until May 1 to help people facing financial problems due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The pause had been scheduled to expire Feb. 1. The change comes as the Biden administration and local public health officials rush to address the new COVID-19 surge fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. “Given these considerations, today my administration is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments for an additional 90 days — through May 1, 2022 — as we manage the ongoing pandemic and further strengthen our economic recovery,” Biden said in a statement. Biden also said the Education Department was working to help borrowers “transition smoothly” back into making payments when the time comes. CNN 

U.S. eases sanctions on Taliban as Afghanistan faces humanitarian crisis The Biden administration on Wednesday said it was relaxing sanctions on the Taliban to help Afghanistan manage a humanitarian crisis blamed on damage from the coronavirus pandemic, a severe drought, and the loss of foreign aid and access to currency reserves. The Biden administration tried to use the financial pressure as leverage against the Taliban when it returned to power three months ago as the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan. The freezing of $9.5 billion of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves and other measures left the country with a severe cash shortage that hurt banks and other businesses, and triggered high inflation. The Treasury Department said Wednesday it would issue “general licenses” to make it easier for aid to flow through international aid organizations and the U.S. government to provide relief to Afghans. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Madagascar minister swims 12 hours and is rescued after helicopter crash Madagascar Police Minister Serge Gelle was rescued after surviving a rescue-helicopter crash and swimming 12 hours before being saved by fishermen. “My turn to die has not yet come, thank God,” Gelle said in a video posted on Twitter by Madagascar’s Defense Ministry. In the video, the veteran police general, still wearing his camouflage uniform, relaxes in a lounge chair in the seaside town of Mahambo, his hands visibly wrinkled from the time he spent in the water. The Maritime and River Port Agency reports a mechanic, a pilot, and colonel were also on board the helicopter when it crashed; the mechanic was found alive and rescued Tuesday, while the colonel’s body was recovered and a search for the pilot is ongoing. Gelle was part of a team searching for people who had been aboard a cargo ship that sank with 138 people on board off the country’s northeast coast. At least 64 people were killed. SKY NEWS 

Ex-Proud Boy pleads guilty to Jan. 6 conspiracy charges Matthew Greene, a former member of the Proud Boys from Syracuse, New York, pleaded guilty Wednesday to obstructing Congress and conspiring to obstruct law enforcement during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Greene, 34, admitted coordinating fellow New York members of the far-right group at the front of the mob, although there is no evidence he entered the Capitol. Greene is the first person who acknowledges membership in the Proud Boys to plead guilty and agree to cooperate with prosecutors in a felony conspiracy case related to the insurrection. Greene will be sentenced in March and could get four years in prison according to nonbinding sentencing guidelines, although prosecutors say he is likely to get credit for cooperating. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Virginia experts open 1887 time capsule found in Robert E. Lee statue pedestal Virginia officials on Wednesday opened an 1887 time capsule that workers found in the pedestal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Workers found the capsule on Dec. 17 while they were dismantling the 40-foot pedestal in Richmond. The statue was taken down after becoming the focus of racial justice protests. Inside the capsule, experts found an 1875 almanac, two books, a coin, and a cloth envelope. Many of the items were wet due to water that had accumulated inside the corroded lead box that contained them. “Given that the artifacts are wet, they will be put in the freezer to prevent any further deterioration,” Katherine Ridgway, a conservator at Virginia Department of Historic Resources, told WTVR. One of the withered books had “love” written on it. CNN 

Existing-home sales rise with boost from low mortgage rates  U.S. existing-home sales rose by 1.9 percent in November compared to the month before as low mortgage interest rates and a strong job market continued to fuel strong demand. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.46 million sales marked the fastest pace since January, although November sales were down 2 percent from a year earlier. Existing-home sales are headed for their best year since 2006, with sales up by 10 percent from a year earlier in the first 11 months of 2021, thanks to low interest rates, higher household savings, and buyers looking for more space to work from home. Competition for limited inventory has driven prices up, with the median existing-home price up by 13.9 percent in November from a year earlier, to $353,900, the National Association of Realtors said. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

James Franco admits he slept with students and ‘cheated on everyone’ James Franco has given his first interview in years after he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018. The actor sat down on the Jess Cagle Podcast and claimed he’s been “doing a lot of work” toward “changing who I was” since five women accused him of inappropriate behavior in a Los Angeles Times exposé. A 2019 lawsuit also accused Franco and his partners of “sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects” at his acting school, which has since closed. Franco in the interview admitted, “Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong.” He denied, though, that this is “why I started the school.” He additionally admitted to having “cheated on everyone” before he started dating his current girlfriend, being “completely blind to power dynamics” and “completely blind to people’s feelings,” leading to behavior that “spun out to a point where it was like I was hurting everybody.” Franco also addressed Seth Rogen’s comments that he had no plans to work with him again, calling the remarks “hurtful” but saying, “I get it.”  PAGE SIX 

2016 ‘Ghostbusters’ director calls out box set snub There’s something strange in the neighborhood. Paul Feig, director of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, on Wednesday questioned why his film has been left out of a new “Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection” box set. The 8-disc set includes the original two Ghostbusters films and the 2021 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but it’s missing the 2016 movie centered around female Ghostbusters. “Um … @SonyPictures, I know this must be a mistake,” Feig tweeted. “We do have a lot of fans, and Bill [Murray], Dan [Aykroyd] and Ernie [Hudson] were in it, and it won the Kids Choice Award for Best Feature Film the year it came out. So, I guess this was just an oversight?” Perhaps the thinking was not to include Feig’s movie because it technically isn’t canon in the new Afterlife timeline. But this added to a feeling among some fans of the 2016 version that the film was being erased by Sony years after it spawned sexist trolling over its female cast, with writer BJ Colangelo tweeting, “This is so disrespectful.” Who you gonna call to get this fixed, Paul?  PAUL FEIGSLASHFILM 

Congress wants answers from Live Nation about the Astroworld tragedy Lawmakers are stepping in to demand answers about the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival. Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday wrote to the promoter Live Nation asking for information about the festival, where 10 people died in a crowd surge. “Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers who attended Astroworld Festival,” the lawmakers wrote, pointing to reports of “inexperienced or ill-equipped” security and medical staff. They asked for written answers to a number of questions, including regarding the “precise time” Live Nation was made aware of casualties “and what steps were taken in response to that information.” The responses are due no later than Jan. 7. This comes after Scott, who was performing on stage at the festival, gave his first interview since the tragedy, saying he had a “responsibility to figure out what happened.”  TMZ 

The End

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 

Two soldiers and four civilians are killed in clashes between the Kurdish SDF and the Turkish-backed SNA in Tell Tamer. (The New Arab) 

The Saudi-led coalition kills over 280 Houthi combatants in airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Al Jawf and Marib governorates of Yemen. (Arab News) 

The University of Hong Kong demolishes the Pillar of Shame overnight, a momument dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in China. (Hong Kong Free Press) 

Madagascar’s police minister Serge Gellé is rescued after swimming for 12 hours to shore after his helicopter crashed off the country’s northern coast during the boat accident rescue operation. President Andry Rajoelina hails Gellé’s survival. (Deutsche Welle) 

The United Kingdom reports a record 106,122 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases in a single day. (The Independent) 

The Austrian government announces a series of new restrictions, including closing restaurants at 10 p.m. beginning on December 27, discourage large-scale New Year’s Eve celebrations, capacity restrictions of indoor and outdoor events, and imposing strict entry requirements for travellers from the UK, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands where the Omicron variant is already dominant in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variant. (AP) 

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announces that, due to the spread of the Omicron variant, water parks, cinemas, theatres and concert halls will be closed, and all indoor events and outdoor events using a tent will be banned. Additionally, shopping will only be allowed in pairs and professional and amateur sport events will be held without spectators. These measures will begin on December 26. (The Brussels Times) 

The Turkish Health ministry approves the emergency use of the country’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine named Turkovac. (Anadolu Agency) 

The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Pfizer‘s antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Paxlovid for at-risk people over the age of 12 years, becoming the first at-home oral treatment to be approved by the FDA. (NBC News) 

Nigeria destroys 1,066,214 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine with short shelf lives that expired in November. (Punch) 

Tunisia begins to implement the usage of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination pass in order to enter cafés, state institutions, banks, and shopping centres despite popular opposition and criticism from Amnesty International. (Barron’s) 

Western Australia will become the first state and territory to mandate a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for essential, mining, and healthcare workers, due to the spread of the Omicron variant. (News.com.au) 

A landowner and an earthmoving business each face 126 charges for the deaths of 70 koalas last year at a partially cleared tree plantation in Cape Bridgewater, Victoria, Australia. (BBC News) 

Italy bans fur farming and orders all remaining mink farms to shut down by June 2022, while a ban on breeding animals for their fur becomes effective immediately. (Greek Reporter) 

The End Thursday 

Japan reports its first locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three people in Osaka Prefecture who had no travel history. (The Japan Times) 

Biden says government to distribute 500 million home COVID tests 

President Biden on Tuesday unveiled his plans for fighting the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, saying his administration would buy 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests and send them to Americans free of charge. He also said the government would set up more vaccination and testing sites, and dispatch 1,000 military medical personnel to help overwhelmed hospitals manage a surge of infected patients. Biden also tried to comfort Americans frustrated after two years of the pandemic, with no end in sight. “We all want this to be over, but we’re still in it,” Biden said. Still, he said, vaccinated people should feel comfortable spending the holidays with friends and family. Health officials in Texas reported what was believed to be the first U.S. death from Omicron. 

THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Trump ally Michael Flynn sues Jan. 6 committee Michael Flynn, who served as former President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, filed a lawsuit in Florida on Tuesday seeking to block the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack from obtaining his phone records. Flynn argued the committee’s subpoena was too broad and sought to punish him for constitutionally protected speech. He also claimed the panel “has no authority to conduct business because it is not a duly constituted Select Committee,” although an appeals court has ruled the committee was set up properly and has the right to obtain White House records Trump was trying to keep secret. The committee has called for Flynn to provide information regarding a “command center” at Washington’s Willard Hotel that oversaw efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss. REUTERS 

Biden promises to work with Manchin to ‘get something done’ President Biden vowed Tuesday that he and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would work out their differences on a major spending package to expand the social safety net and the fight against climate change. Manchin this week said he couldn’t support Biden’s $2 trillion Build Back Better proposal, effectively killing it just days after offering a counterproposal that reportedly came in around $1.8 trillion. Democrats need Manchin’s vote, along with every other Democrat’s, to pass the measure in the 50-50 Senate. Biden told reporters at the White House that he didn’t hold a grudge against the more conservative Democrat, but that he would keep working to push through policies that would help families and lift people out of poverty. “Sen. Manchin and I are going to get something done,” Biden said. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Israel approves 4th COVID vaccine shot for people over 60 Israelis over age 60 and medical teams who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster will be eligible for a fourth shot to increase their protection against the highly infectious Omicron variant, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced Tuesday. Studies have shown that the new, fast-spreading strain is resistant to initial vaccination, but that boosters can restore significant protection. “The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and we are continuing to pioneer with the fourth dose as well,” Bennett said. He urged all eligible people to “go and get vaccinated.” Israel’s pandemic expert committee recommended making the additional doses available. People with compromised immune systems also will be eligible. THE GUARDIAN 

Walter Reed military scientists test vaccine that could protect against Omicron Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research spent nearly two years developing a COVID-19 vaccine that should protect against the new Omicron variant, plus all past and presumably future SARS-origin coronaviruses, Defense One reported Tuesday. The Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle (SpFN) vaccine showed promising results in animal trials and Phase 1 human trials that wrapped up this month; it still must undergo Phase 2 and Phase 3 human trials. “We decided to take a look at the long game rather than just only focusing on the original emergence of SARS, and instead understand that viruses mutate,” said Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch. “Our platform and approach will equip people to be prepared for that.”  DEFENSE ONE 

Population growth fell to record low in 1st year of pandemic U.S. population growth fell to the lowest rate in the nation’s history during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The population increased by 392,665, or about 0.1 percent, from July 2020 to July 2021, bringing the country’s population to 331.8 million people, the Census Bureau said. It was the first year since 1937 that the population increased by less than one million people. The slowdown came as the pandemic curbed immigration, delayed pregnancies, and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths beyond what would normally have been expected. “I was expecting low growth but nothing this low,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NHL says it won’t participate in Olympics due to COVID concerns The National Hockey League announced Tuesday that its players will not participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. The league has also announced that it plans to pause its season starting Wednesday, ahead of its Christmas break, due to COVID-19 concerns, which have intensified as the new Omicron variant spreads explosively around the world. The NHL is the first major sports league in North America to halt is season because of the fast-spreading Omicron strain. Before the announcement, the league had already postponed 50 games due to COVID-19 cases. Ten teams had shut down by Monday night, and 15 percent of the league’s players were under pandemic protocols. ESPN 

Kellogg workers approve contract ending 11-week strike Kellogg’s workers voted on Tuesday to ratify a tentative labor contract, ending a strike at four cereal plants that began in early October. The contract covers about 1,400 employees at Kellogg plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee who are represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union. Union president Anthony Shelton said the agreement “makes gains and does not include concessions.” Kellogg said the contract gives all workers immediate wage increases and cost of living adjustments, as well as a faster and clearer track to higher wages for new hires. Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane said the employees will go back to work on Monday. The company had hired outside workers to help keep the plants operating during the strike. CBS NEWS 

Jury finds Harvard professor guilty of hiding payments from China A Boston jury on Tuesday found Harvard professor Charles Lieber guilty of hiding ties to China. Lieber, a 62-year-old nanoscience expert, had pleaded not guilty to charges of filing false tax returns, making false statements, and failing to report on a foreign bank account in China, but was found guilty on all six counts. Lieber’s defense attorney Marc Mukasey had argued that prosecutors lacked proof that Lieber “willfully” hid payments he received or lied, and emphasized that Lieber wasn’t accused of illegally transferring technology to China. Prosecutors said Lieber tried to protect his career and reputation by hiding his involvement in China’s Thousand Talents Plan, which aims to recruit people with knowledge of foreign intellectual property to China. NPR 

Biden considers lifting travel ban imposed to slow Omicron’s arrival President Biden said Tuesday that he is considering lifting a month-old travel ban he imposed on foreign travelers arriving from South Africa and seven other southern African countries to slow the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa. Omicron has since surpassed Delta as the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States. “Remember why I said we put the travel ban on. It was to see how much time we had before it hit here,” Biden said. “But we’re past that now.” He said the federal government would distribute 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests under a campaign to contain Omicron. New cases have fallen in South Africa, suggesting Omicron infections might have peaked there. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Walgreens, CVS limit at-home COVID test purchases as demand spikes Walgreens and CVS said Tuesday they are limiting purchases of at-home COVID-19 testing kits due to a surge in demand as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly across the United States. The nation’s two largest pharmacy chains have seen some stores run out of the tests in recent days. “To ensure equitable access to tests both in store and digitally, we’ve added a limit of six test kits per purchase,” CVS said in a statement. CVS has more than 9,900 U.S. stores, although nearly 10 percent are scheduled to be closed over the next three years. Walgreens asked customers for patience as “we continue to navigate the evolving pandemic environment,” Walgreens President John Standley said. CNN 

2021  Tuesday,  December 21st, 2021 

The Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The air raid targeted six sites, including places used for “launching drone attacks”, according to a statement from the coalition. (Reuters) 

The French Army announces that they killed Soumana Boura, a leading member of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, the previous day. Boura was involved in the killings of six French aid workers and their two Nigerien guides in a mass shooting in August 2020 in Kouré, Niger. (Al Jazeera) 

The TPLF withdraws all its troops from the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. (PM News) 

The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends the shortening of the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months and urges all citizens over the age of 18 to receive a booster dose of an mRNA-based vaccine after receiving their first two doses in order to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Politico.eu) 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and 16 state premiers agree to tighten the restrictions beginning on December 28, including limiting the number of people in private gatherings to 10 and banning spectators at large-scale musical, sporting and cultural events due to concerns related to the spread of the Omicron variant. (Deutsche Welle) 

Prime Minister António Costa announces that nightclubs and bars will be closed and all people will work from home for at least two weeks beginning on December 25 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. There will also be capacity restrictions at shops and people will require a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter events. (Bloomberg) 

The Swedish government announces that several new measures will begin on December 23, including limiting the number of people at private gatherings to 50, requiring the use of a vaccination pass for public events with a capacity of more than 500 people, and recommending work from home where possible, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters) 

The European Commission announces a binding proposal that will make the EU Digital COVID Certificate only valid for for travel within the European Union for nine months without a booster dose after a person’s primary vaccination schedule in order to standardize different travel requirements in the member states. The new rules will be mandatory for all 27 EU member states beginning on February 1. (RFI) 

The Health ministry recommends that Israelis over the age of 60 years and healthcare workers should receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the world’s first country to administer a fourth dose of the vaccine. The move is welcomed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (Sky News) 

Israel reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a man in his 60s with pre-existing health conditions who died at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. (The Times of Israel) 

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration reduces the interval of the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to three months for people who received a two-dose vaccine and two months for people who received a single-dose vaccine in order to reduce the effects of variants. (GMA News) 

The End Wednesday 

Tuesday,  December 21st, 2021 

Omicron surges, accounting for 73 percent of new COVID cases The new Omicron coronavirus variant has spread explosively and now accounts for 73 percent of U.S. cases, after increasing six-fold in one week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Cities across the United States on Monday continued to step up restrictions to combat the surge, as rising Omicron infections added to ongoing cases from the previously dominant Delta strain. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D) announced that the city, one of many where cases are spiking, would require proof of vaccination for people entering some indoor spaces, including restaurants and gyms. Washington, D.C., revived an indoor mask mandate as daily infections jumped to three times the level seen at the beginning of December. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

EPA tightens auto pollution rule to cut carbon emissions The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced that it had finalized a rule cutting limits on tailpipe emissions to reduce climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution. The change requires U.S. vehicles to get an average of 55 miles per gallon of gasoline by 2026, the tightest standard yet and an increase from about 38 miles per gallon today. The new rule will prevent the release of 3.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide through 2050, the EPA said. The change essentially restores an Obama administration standard, which called for automakers to hit an average of 51 miles per gallon by 2025 but was cut back by the Trump administration to about 44 miles per gallon. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

EPA unveils tightest auto pollution rule ever The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced that it had finalized a rule tightening tailpipe emission limits to reduce climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution. The change requires U.S. vehicles to get an average of 55 miles per gallon of gasoline by 2026, the tightest standard yet and up from about 38 miles per gallon today. The reduction would prevent the release of 3.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide through 2050. The change restores an Obama administration policy that called for automakers to hit an average of 51 miles per gallon by 2025, but was rolled back by the Trump administration. President Biden is expected to rely on such regulations to reduce emissions as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) essentially blocks a spending bill that includes climate funding. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Three inmates are executed by hanging, marking the first time executions under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government and the first in the country in nearly two years. One was the perpetrator of a 2004 mass stabbing in which he killed seven of his relatives. (Reuters) 

The French Army says that yesterday they killed Soumana Boura, a leading member of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, involved in the killings of six French aid workers and their two Nigerien guides in a mass shooting in August 2020 in Kouré, Niger. (Al Jazeera) 

Manchin says White House staff poisoned talks and rejected spending counteroffer Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) hit back Monday against White House staffers who accused him of breaking a promise by rejecting President Biden’s $2 trillion Build Back Better plan. Manchin said Biden aides were the ones who poisoned negotiations. Manchin, whose vote Democrats must have to pass the bill in the evenly divided Senate, objected to the cost. He had proposed an alternative $1.8 trillion package that included universal prekindergarten for 10 years, expanding Obamacare, and providing hundreds of billions of dollars for climate measures, The Washington Post reported Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter. But his counteroffer left out extending the expiring expanded child tax credit, a key part of Biden’s economic stimulus that has dramatically reduced child poverty. THE WASHINGTON POST 

The Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The air raid targets six sites, including places used for “launching drone attacks”, according to the coalition. (Reuters) 

The TPLF withdraws all its troops from the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. (PM News) 

Previous to the nationwide mandate, the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Río Negro and Santiago del Estero become the first to implement the “sanitary pass” for massive events and public attention offices. The mandate applies to all above 13 years old and requires at least one dose to enter those places. (Página/12) 

Kenya’s COVID-19 infection rate reaches an all-time high. (Business Daily Africa) 

Thailand reinstates its mandatory hotel quarantine between 7 to 10 days for all incoming foreign travellers and suspends the “sandbox” program for other places outside Phuket after the country reported its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Rappler) 

Last 12 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti made daring escape, group says The last 12 of the 17 U.S. and Canadian missionaries kidnapped by a gang in Haiti in October were not released, but freed themselves in a daring escape last week, Christian Aid Ministries said Monday. Five others were released earlier under unspecified circumstances. The last 12 captives, including an infant and 3-year-old child, escaped last Wednesday night and walked about 10 miles through difficult gang territory and “eventually found someone who helped to make a phone call for help,” the Ohio-based missionary group said. “They were finally free.” The 400 Mawozo gang had captured the group as the missionaries were returning from a visit to an orphanage, and demanded $1 million per person in ransom. It was not immediately clear whether any ransom was paid. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Jury starts deliberating in ex-officer’s trial for Daunte Wright’s death Jury deliberations began Monday after prosecutors and defense attorneys gave closing arguments in the manslaughter trial of former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot Black motorist Daunte Wright while yelling “Taser” in April. Potter, who faces first- and second-degree manslaughter charges, is accused of recklessly handling her gun and killing Wright, 20. She said during the trial that she didn’t mean to shoot Wright and was sorry. Defense attorney Earl Gray said Wright died during the traffic-stop-turned-arrest due to his own “rash and reckless conduct.” Prosecutor Erin Eldridge said Potter was responsible for what happened even if she mistakenly shot Write when she meant to stun him with her Taser. “Accidents can still be crimes,” he said. USA TODAY 

Alex Jones sues Jan. 6 committee and says he’ll plead the 5^th Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, a vocal backer of former President Donald Trump and operator of the far-right Infowars website, has filed a lawsuit against the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, seeking to block the panel from obtaining his phone records and forcing him to testify next month. Jones has said he plans to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and that the committee rejected his offer to provide written answers to their questions. He also said he does not intend to produce any documents because he feels his “journalistic activity” is protected under the First Amendment. Jones is the latest of several Trump supporters who have sued the panel. POLITICO 

Philippines typhoon death toll rises further, exceeding 300 The death toll in the Philippines from Super Typhoon Rai continued to rise on Monday and early Tuesday, reaching at least 375 people as search crews reached more devastated areas. The storm crashed into the country’s southeastern islands on Thursday with high winds and heavy rains. Rescue teams said they had encountered “complete carnage” in some coastal areas left without power, phone service, or sufficient drinking water. “There are some areas that look like it has been bombed worse than World War II,” the chair of the Philippines Red Cross, Richard Gordon, told the BBC. The governor of the Dinagat Islands, Arlene Bag-ao, said on Facebook that the “fields and boats of our farmers and fisherfolk have been decimated.” RAPPLER 

Report says glaciers melting fastest in Himalayas Himalayan glaciers are melting at an “exceptional” rate that is outpacing the loss of glaciers in other parts of the world, according to a peer-reviewed study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports. The Himalayan mountains, often referred to as the “third pole,” are home to the third-largest collection of glaciers after Antarctica and the Arctic. Researchers, using satellite images and digital models, found that the Himalayas’ 15,000 glaciers had shrunk by about 40 percent from the peak during the so-called Little Ice Age 400 to 700 years ago. Current losses are at least 10 times the average rate of past centuries, with recent acceleration coinciding “with human-induced climate change,” said report author Jonathan Carrivick, deputy head of the University of Leeds School of Geography. NATURE

Biden administration offers 20,000 more visas for temporary winter workers The Biden administration will make 20,000 more seasonal, H-2B guest-worker visas available for employers this winter to help address labor shortages, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday. The new allotment added to the 33,000 visas already set aside for landscapers, hotels, ski resorts, and other seasonal employers for the winter hiring season. They are available for people hired by March 31. H-2B visas can go to foreign workers entering the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. “DHS is taking action to protect American businesses and create opportunities that will expand lawful pathways to the United States for workers” from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Haiti, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a statement. CNN 

California sues Walmart over hazardous waste disposal California prosecutors on Monday filed a lawsuit accusing Walmart of illegally dumping toxic waste in state landfills. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the retail giant throws out a million batteries, aerosol insect-killer cans, cleaning supplies, and other hazardous waste every year. “When a big box store disposes of unwanted goods, just like the rest of us, they need to do so properly. Unfortunately, Walmart — the largest company in the world by revenue — has failed to do that on a grand scale here in California,” Bonta said. Walmart, which has more than 300 stores in California, called the lawsuit “unjustified.” The company paid $25 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2010, and agreed to stop the dumping in California landfills unequipped for hazardous waste. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

‘Spider-Man’ producer warned Tom Holland and Zendaya against dating There’s nothing like young, forbidden Spider-Man love. Spider-Man: No Way Home producer Amy Pascal has revealed she tried — and failed — to stop Tom Holland and Zendaya from dating in real life after they were cast as on-screen love interests Peter Parker and MJ. Funnily enough, they’re actually the third consecutive set of Spider-Man actors to date off screen, as Andrew Garfield dated his Spider-Man love interest Emma Stone and Tobey Maguire dated the original MJ, Kirsten Dunst. “I took Tom and Zendaya aside, separately, when we first cast them and gave them a lecture,” Pascal told The New York Times. “Don’t go there — just don’t. Try not to. I gave the same advice to Andrew and Emma. It can just complicate things, you know? And they all ignored me.” Either that, or Pascal has wanted to pair them all up and is just the master of reverse psychology.  E! ONLINE

Jennifer Lopez denies being mad at Ben Affleck over his Jennifer Garner comments Please don’t put in the newspaper that I got mad, Jennifer Lopez says. Lopez has shot down reports she’s upset with Ben Affleck over his recent comments about his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. For those just joining us in this debacle, Affleck recently told Howard Stern that “part of why I started drinking” was because he felt “trapped” in his marriage to Garner, and he suggested he would still be drinking if they were married today. Soon after, Page Six claimed Lopez was “pissed,” with a source saying, “She is getting pulled into this because she is dating him. She doesn’t want to be dragged into this.” But Lopez is now denying this, telling People, “This story is simply not true. It is not how I feel.” She added, “I couldn’t have more respect for Ben as a father, a co-parent, and a person.” Affleck has since said his original comments about Garner were taken out of context, slamming “clickbait” headlines about them. PEOPLE 

‘X-Men’ director Bryan Singer faces new abuse allegations from former assistant  Bryan Singer, director of films like X-Men and Bohemian Rhapsody, is facing even more allegations of abuse. This time, Singer’s former assistant Blake Stuerman came forward in a piece published Monday by Variety, alleging he was a victim of “mental and emotional abuse” by the filmmaker. They reportedly began a sexual relationship when Stuerman was 18 and Singer was 43, and Stuerman says that during their first sexual encounter, he was drunk and “didn’t know I was allowed to say no.” He accuses Singer of emotional abuse that “would frequently trigger panic attacks” and also alleges he once witnessed Singer “violently” attack a guest at his house. Singer has previously faced allegations of sexually abusing underage boys, and he hasn’t released a movie since he was replaced as director of Bohemian Rhapsody. He denied the allegations through his lawyer, claiming Stuerman “simply has an axe to grind.” VARIETY 

Monday,  December 20th, 2021 

Health officials warn of potential record COVID surge  Leading public health officials said Sunday that the U.S. is likely to face record numbers of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations as the Omicron variant spreads explosively. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s top health-care adviser, said on CNN’s State of the Union that the “extraordinary” transmissibility of the new strain will cause “a significant stress” on some hospitals, “particularly in those areas where you have a low level of vaccination.” Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said on CBS News’ Face the Nation that the nation could soon see a million new Omicron cases a day, far beyond the record of about 250,000 new daily cases set in January, although it was unclear how many of those cases would require hospitalization. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Warren, Booker test positive in breakthrough COVID cases Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Sunday that they had tested positive the coronavirus. Warren said via her official Twitter account that she was experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms. Warren, who lost her older brother to the virus in May 2020, is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot. She said the fact that she was vaccinated and boosted had protected her from more severe illness. With U.S. infections surging, Warren urged everyone to “get the vaccine and the booster as soon as possible — together, we can save lives.” Booker also has been vaccinated and boosted, and said his symptoms were “relatively mild.” CNN 

The United States reports its first confirmed death related to the Omicron variant in a unvaccinated man in his 50s in Harris County, Texas who had underlying health issues. (U.S. News and World Report) 

The governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reveal that they have captured 35 rebels and destroyed numerous enemy strongholds within the past week. (Voice of America) 

The Israeli Defense Forces reveal that they have captured more than 100 members of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, amid a recent increase in tensions between the two groups. (Times of Israel) 

The death toll from the fuel tank truck explosion in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, six days ago rises to 90. (Al Jazeera) 

Israel’s government agrees to ban all travel to Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal,  Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, and the U.S. without special permission beginning on December 22 due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (NBC News) 

Kuwait will require incoming travellers who fully vaccinated against COVID-19 more than nine months ago to receive booster dose beginning from January 2 and also requires them to self-isolate for 10 days unless they received a negative PCR test within 72 hours of their arrival beginning from December 26.  (Times of Oman) 

Germany bans all travel from the United Kingdom and imposes a mandatory 14-day quarantine and proof of a negative PCR test from the previous 48 hours for German residents and citizens returning from the UK, amid the spread of the Omicron variant in Britain. (Euronews) 

The United Kingdom ends its travel ban on Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,  Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. (Times of India) 

The European Commission authorizes the use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine after the European Medicines Agency recommended the use of the vaccine, becoming the fifth vaccine to be approved for use by the European Union. (Euronews) 

Quebec closes all bars, gyms, spas, cinemas, and concert halls as well as suspends in-person learning and mandates remote working after the province reported a record 4,857 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Global News) 

Poland and Lithuania join Ukraine in calling for stronger Western sanctions on Russia, with Polish President Andrzej Duda saying that “everything must be done” to prevent a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that he was “absolutely against any policy of concessions to Russia”. (RFE/RL) 

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby says a small Department of Defense team has returned from Ukraine after assessing the country’s air defences. (The Drive) 

The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi is delayed by Burmese courts until December 27. (Al Jazeera) 

Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is sentenced to five years in prison by Egyptian authorities for spreading fake news. His family continues to protest the verdict. (Al Jazeera) 

The Nagaland Legislative Assembly publicly demands that the Government of India repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which has been in effect since 1958. This comes after a massacre occurred in Mon district, Nagaland on December 4. (Sangai Express) 

The End Tuesday 

An investigation by the BBC discovers that a massacre of 40 civilians took place in July 2021, in Kani Township, a People’s Defence Force stronghold in Sagaing Region. (BBC News) 

Manchin says he won’t vote for Biden’s spending proposal  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Sunday he will not vote for President Biden’s $2 trillion Build Back Better spending and tax bill, which would expand the social safety net and fight climate change. Manchin, a key centrist swing vote, has objected to the cost. The White House and leading congressional Democrats have been negotiating with Manchin to seek his support, which they must have to push the bill through the evenly divided Senate. “I can’t get there,” he said on Fox News Sunday. “This is a no.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Manchin was reneging on a promise with his “sudden and inexplicable” reversal, noting that as recently as Tuesday he had pledged to work out a compromise with the White House. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Moderna says booster dose effective against Omicron in lab study  Moderna said early Monday that a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine significantly increased immune responses against the Omicron variant in lab tests, adding more preliminary evidence that booster shots restore protections eroded by the new variant. Moderna said the half-dose it has been using as a booster increases levels of neutralizing antibodies, a first line of defense against the coronavirus, 37-fold versus pre-booster levels. Pfizer reported earlier that its third dose boosted neutralizing antibodies against Omicron more than 25-fold. The lab results have not yet been confirmed in real-world studies. Pfizer and Moderna have both reported that their original two-dose regimens were not very effective at preventing Omicron infections, though they do significantly cut down on severe illness and hospitalization. USA TODAY 

Chile elects 35-year-old leftist Gabriel Boric as president Gabriel Boric, a leftist millennial who gained influence during anti-government protests, won Chile’s presidential election Sunday after a polarizing campaign against conservative lawmaker José Antonio Kast, a fan of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro who has been likened to Donald Trump. Boric was ahead by 10 percentage points with more than half of the votes counted. During the campaign, Kast tried to scare voters by saying Boric would be controlled by allies in Chile’s Communist Party, and would destroy the South American nation’s stable and advanced economy. Boric, surrounded by thousands of mostly young supporters, repeated promises to fight climate change and no longer “permit that the poor keep paying the price of Chile’s inequality.” When Boric, 35, takes office in March, he will be Chile’s youngest modern president. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai tells newspaper she never accused anyone of sexual assault Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai reversed her allegation that a former Chinese Communist Party leader sexually assaulted her, telling Chinese-language Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in a Sunday interview that there were “a lot of misunderstandings” about the November social media post in which she made the claim. “I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me,” Peng told Lianhe Zaobao. “This point must be emphasized very clearly.” She also said she personally wrote the Chinese version of an email to the Women’s Tennis Association retracting her accusation against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and assuring the WTA that everything is fine. The WTA said it welcomed Peng’s appearance “in a public setting,” but reiterated its “call for a full, fair, and transparent investigation.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Rapper Drakeo the Ruler fatally stabbed at festival  West Coast rapper Drakeo the Ruler was stabbed to death Saturday during a fight at a Los Angeles festival, a publicist for the late performer confirmed on Sunday. He was 28. The stabbing occurred near the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park, the festival venue. Drakeo the Ruler, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, had been scheduled to take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday during the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival. Several other artists, including 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg, also were appearing. Organizers called off the rest of the show after the rapper’s death. In February, Caldwell released “The Truth Hurts,” his biggest album yet. He said in a statement early this year that the album covers “everything that I have gone through,” including spending much of his youth in correctional facilities. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ crushes expectations with a $253 million debut Spider-Man: No Way Home smashed box office expectations over its debut weekend, bringing in $253 million in ticket sales at 4,336 North American theaters. It was by far the biggest opening weekend for any film since the coronavirus pandemic started. In an era when COVID-19 fears force studios to release many films for streaming and theaters simultaneously, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO, said the Sony comic-book sequel’s success reaffirmed “the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve.” The new Spider-Man film is the first movie released during the pandemic to bring in more than $100 million in a weekend. VARIETY 

Goldman Sachs cuts economic growth forecast after Manchin’s bombshell Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for U.S. economic growth to 2 percent for the first quarter of 2022, down from 3 percent, after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Fox News Sunday that he would not vote for his party’s $2 trillion Build Back Better domestic spending legislation. He sent an aide to let the White House and congressional leadership know less than a half an hour before going on air to drop his bombshell. Republican moderates who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure deal Manchin helped negotiate were thrilled with the news, but congressional Democrats and the White House were not. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) quickly released a new framework for a more narrowly focused Build Back Better plan. POLITICO 

Musk says he’ll pay $11 billion in 2021 taxes Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, tweeted on Sunday that he will pay $11 billion in 2021 taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. Bloomberg News calculated that Musk will owe the IRS more than $10 billion on his taxes this year if he exercises all of his stock options that will expire in 2022. If the figures are accurate, it could be the largest individual payment the IRS has ever collected. Musk already has sold millions of Tesla shares to raise the money to cover his looming tax bill. Tesla shares have soared by more than 2,300 percent in the last five years. In November, Musk polled his Twitter followers to get their opinions on whether he should sell 10 percent of his Tesla stake. Since then, Tesla’s stock has fallen by nearly 25 percent. BLOOMBERG 

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