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) 

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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 

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