Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 

Kim Kardashian reportedly changed vacation destination to avoid Kanye West Kim Kardashian is apparently now secretly tweaking vacation plans because her estranged husband Kanye West might show up uninvited. Page Six reports West has been “deliberately showing up” places Kardashian will be, even though he’s now dating Uncut Gems actress Julia Fox. This includes on New Year’s Eve, when he went to Miami reportedly because he thought Kardashian would join her boyfriend Pete Davidson there at his show with Miley Cyrus. But Page Six also reports Kardashian originally planned to go on vacation with Davidson in the Dominican Republic until West “got wind of it and was talking about showing up there too,” so she “secretly changed the destination to the Bahamas.” Fox recently wrote in Interview magazine about her romance with West, saying she’s “loving the ride” — but Page Six‘s sources allege the relationship is just a “ploy to get under ex Kim Kardashian’s skin.”  PAGE SIXBUZZFEED NEWS 

Fauci clashes with Sen. Rand Paul over coronavirus misinformation Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, clashed with Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday, accusing the Kentucky Republican of spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic that has sparked death threats against him. Fauci also said Paul was distorting the truth about COVID-19 “for political reasons,” including fundraising. “It distracts from what we’re all trying to do here today, [which] is get our arms around the epidemic and the pandemic that we’re dealing with, not something imaginary,” Fauci said. Paul’s website accuses Fauci of “lying about everything from masks to the contagiousness of the virus.” Paul said Fauci was trying to smear anyone who disagreed with him. REUTERS 

Pfizer moving ahead with plans for Omicron-targeted vaccine Pfizer officials said this week that they were pushing to produce 50 million to 100 million doses of a version of the company’s coronavirus vaccine adapted to target the new Omicron variant that is driving an unprecedented wave of infections. The drugmaker is testing larger doses and hybrid vaccines to fight multiple strains. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company is developing the vaccines “at risk,” meaning it will absorb the costs if they are not needed. The weeks it will take to develop and distribute the vaccines mean that they won’t be available until after the point later this month when public health officials have predicted the Omicron surge will peak, but Bourla said if the Omicron-targeted vaccine is needed, Pfizer will have it ready. THE WASHINGTON POST 

China’s new COVID-19 lockdowns threaten more supply problems New lockdowns China has imposed in several cities to counter the latest coronavirus surge have clogged ports and forced companies to shut factories, threatening to cause fresh supply-chain disruptions just as global bottlenecks were starting to clear, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Due to China’s zero-tolerance policy, for example, about two dozen COVID-19 cases prompted restrictions on trucks and warehouses that threaten to worsen backlogs at the world’s third-busiest container port of Ningbo-Zhoushan. The lockdowns and mass testing currently in effect in China are the most aggressive in nearly two years. The measures already have caused production problems for numerous companies, including memory-chip maker Samsung Electronics, German automaker Volkswagen, and a textile supplier to Nike and Adidas. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Federal officials defend COVID response hampered by test shortage Top Biden administration health officials defended the government’s efforts to fight the Omicron coronavirus variant as lawmakers grilled them about a shortage of coronavirus tests and shifting guidance on how long infected people should wait before resuming normal activities. “This is an extraordinary virus, the likes of which we have not seen even close to in well over 100 years,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told lawmakers. “We’re doing the best we possibly can.” Lawmakers said during the hearing that the Biden administration had not accurately assessed the need for tests and would not be able to distribute the 500 million tests it was buying until the Omicron wave has started to subside. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

CDC weighs changing mask guidance to urge N95, KN95 use The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering changing its guidance on masks to urge people to wear the N95 or KN95 face coverings that health workers wear, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing an official close to the discussions. The move would be part of an effort to increase protection for Americans as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly across the country, driving a record wave of infections and raising daily hospitalizations and deaths. “We know these masks provide better filtration,” the official said. The CDC’s initial mask guidance stopped short of recommending the highly protective face protection due to fear of shortages at hospitals and other medical facilities. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Hospitals cut capacity as COVID-19 wave limits staff Rising numbers of health-care workers are calling in sick across the country as the seven-day average of new daily coronavirus infections rises above 700,000, forcing many hospitals to cut capacity, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The staff shortages have forced hospitals to leave beds empty because they lack staff to safely provide care, and a tight labor market has prevented them from finding replacements, according to industry officials. The University Hospitals system in Ohio, for example, has closed up to 16 percent of its intensive-care beds recently. “It’s definitely a brutal situation,” said Dr. Joseph Chang, chief medical officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, which had to shut 30 of 900 beds. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Arctic air brings coldest weather in 3 years to Upper Midwest, Northeast Millions of Americans faced the coldest day in three years on Tuesday in parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast. Air temperatures fell below zero in some areas, with a blast of Arctic air sending wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero in northern New England. High temperatures were as much as 30 degrees below average. Boston’s public school system was closed on Tuesday due to extreme cold. New Hampshire’s Department of Health had to close four COVID-19 testing sites. Temperatures were expected to rise on Wednesday, with warmer days at the end of the week. The cold snap followed the warmest December on record, which helped make 2021 the fourth hottest year on record. NBC NEWS 

DOJ forms new domestic terrorism unit as threats rise The Justice Department is creating a domestic terrorism unit to counter rising threats from U.S.-based extremists, Matthew G. Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, said Tuesday. Olsen told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that the new unit would “augment our existing approach,” which has assigned counterterrorism attorneys to work on domestic and international cases. The news came days after the first anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which some lawmakers have pointed to as proof that the FBI has failed to do enough to address domestic terrorists and violent far-right groups. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Powell says Fed will counter inflation threat with rate hikes as needed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in Tuesday’s Senate hearing on his confirmation to a second term that the U.S. economy is strong enough that the Fed can start ending its aggressive stimulus measures. Powell said high inflation had become a “severe threat” to the recovery from the damage of the coronavirus pandemic, and the central bank would start tapering its asset purchases and raising interest rates to prevent the economy from overheating. Powell said supply-chain bottlenecks that have contributed to rising prices should ease this year, but that if inflation persists and “we have to raise interest rates more over time, we will.” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said he feared “the Fed missed the boat on addressing inflation sooner.”  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Djokovic acknowledges mistake on travel documents he gave Australia Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, conceded Wednesday that the travel documents he gave Australian border officials falsely claimed he hadn’t traveled internationally before he arrived in Australia last week. He blamed an “administrative mistake.” Djokovic also acknowledged participating in an interview and a photoshoot in his native Serbia after he tested positive for a coronavirus infection last month, contrary to the country’s COVID-19 protocols. Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, won an appeal of a decision by Australian authorities to revoke his visa, but immigration officials are continuing to investigate whether he poses a public health threat and should be deported. Djokovic is in the country seeking a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Bank of America cuts overdraft fees Bank of America announced Tuesday that it is ending fees for insufficient funds, and cutting overdraft fees from $35 to $10. The bank said the bounced check fee will disappear next month, and the overdraft fee cut will take effect in May. Once the changes are in place, the institution’s fees for overdrafts will be reduced by 97 percent from 2009 levels. Bank of America’s president of retail banking, Holly O’Neill, said the changes were part of an effort to “help clients manage their deposit accounts and overall finances responsibly.” The news came just over a month after Capital One, the sixth biggest U.S. bank by assets, announced that it would stop penalizing customers who withdraw or write checks for more money than they have in their accounts. CNN 

Lady Gaga suggests Patrizia Reggiani sent ‘large swarms of flies’ to follow her  Be afraid. Be very afraid. Lady Gaga chatted with W magazine about playing Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci, and she recalled the bizarre moment she knew it was time to let go of the character: when she became convinced Reggiani was sending swarms of flies after her. “On the last day of filming, I was on the balcony of my apartment in Rome, and I was blasting Dean Martin singing ‘Mambo Italiano,’ and I had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth,” Gaga said. “I was Patrizia. But I knew I had to say goodbye to her: Large swarms of flies kept following me around, and I truly began to believe that she had sent them. I was ready to let her go.” Gaga has previously detailed her intense method acting process, even having a psychiatric nurse on the set. Apparently, some fly repellent also would have been useful.  W MAGAZINETHE WEEK 

House Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Trump speechwriter, 2 other allies  The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack has subpoenaed records and testimony from Andy Surabian and Arthur Schwartz, strategists who advised Donald Trump Jr., and Ross Worthington, a former White House official believed to have helped draft former President Donald Trump’s speech at a rally before the insurrection. “We have reason to believe the individuals we’ve subpoenaed today have relevant information and we expect them to join the more than 340 individuals who have spoken with the Select Committee as we push ahead to investigate this attack on our democracy and ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the panel’s chair. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Biden backs changing filibuster to pass voting rights bill President Biden on Tuesday called on lawmakers to pass voting rights and election reform bills to counter new voting restrictions in some GOP-led states, and urged them to alter Senate rules, if necessary, to prevent Republicans from blocking the legislation with a filibuster. “I’m tired of being quiet!” Biden said. Passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would “restore the strength of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the one President Johnson signed after John Lewis was beaten, nearly killed, on ‘Bloody Sunday,’” Biden said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) accused Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear” new state voting laws. Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to pass federal voting laws to gain unfair advantages. CNNTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Tuesday, January 11th, 2022 

Israel condemns the presence of Iranian government minister Mohsen Rezai at the inauguration of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. Rezai is wanted by Argentina for alleged connections with the 1994 AMIA bombing, whose foreign ministry also condemned his presence and demanded from Iran “immediate cooperation” with the investigation. Rezai is the subject of a red notice of Interpol requested by Argentina. (The Jerusalem Post) 

The Israeli Health ministry approves a reduction of the isolation period for asymptomatic positive COVID-19 patients from ten to seven days in order to keep the economy running despite an increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases. The changes will be in effect on January 13. (The Times of Israel) 

U.S. hits average of over 700,000 new COVID-19 cases per day  New U.S. coronavirus infections have risen to an average of more than 700,000 per day, USA Today reported Sunday, citing an analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. The last five days leading up to Saturday brought the five highest single-day counts of new cases since the start of the pandemic, with a total of 4.91 million cases in the week that ended Saturday. That was a higher total than in April, May, June, and July 2021 combined. “I would not be surprised at all if we go over a million cases per day,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told News 4 New York in an interview Saturday. Fauci predicted that case numbers from the fast-spreading Omicron variant would start to come down in late January. USA TODAY 

Airlines cancel more flights due to pandemic-related staff shortages Airlines canceled flights over the weekend as harsh winter weather and staff shortages due to coronavirus infections continued to disrupt travel. About 5,000 flights were scrapped on Friday, data tracking service FlightAware said. Daily cancellations declined over the weekend, however, as airlines struggled to restore their normal schedules. The disruptions began shortly before Christmas, as the U.S. was hit with severe winter storms just as the nation was also slammed by a wave of coronavirus infections driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. SkyWest, which operates flights for United, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, said the cuts were meant to “ensure we’re able to adequately staff our remaining flying as we work to recover in the coming weeks.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

The Oscars will bring back a host after last year’s ratings catastrophe And this year’s Oscars host is … somebody! ABC revealed Tuesday the Academy Awards will actually have a host this year, for the first time since 2018. The recent streak of host-free events began in 2019, when comedian Kevin Hart stepped down due to controversy over homophobic jokes and tweets. In the end, some pundits preferred not having a host and the ratings went up, so the Oscars stuck with the format. Perhaps the Academy now hopes bringing back a host will generate more interest after 2021’s show was a complete ratings disaster. So who might the Academy hire? It’s not clear, although Spider-Man: No Way Home star Tom Holland was recently asked if he would do it. He initially said he didn’t think he’d have time, only to backtrack, saying, “What kind of f—ing idiot wouldn’t host the Oscars? So yeah, if they ask me to, I would, and it would be very fun.”  VARIETY

A car bombing kills at least eight people in Mogadishu. (Reuters) 

Germany reports a record 80,430 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7,661,811. (Euronews) 

Saudi Arabia reports a record 5,362 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 593,545. (Al Arabiya English) 

South Korea authorizes the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults, making it the fifth vaccine to be approved to use in the country. (The Washington Post) 

France reports a record 368,149 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (CNBC) 

Italy reports a record 220,532 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7.77 million. (Agenzia Italia) 

Turkey reports a record 74,266 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency) 

Argentina reports a record 134,439 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,533,635. (Infobae) 

Bolivian vice president David Choquehuanca tests positive for COVID-19 for the third time. Six government ministers also test positive for COVID-19. (France 24) 

President of the European Parliament David Sassoli dies in Aviano, Italy and is succeeded by Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola, who becomes the first Maltese person to hold this position. (Politico) 

Dylan Minnette defends himself against ‘everyone absolutely demolishing me’ for underdressing Don’t you know the wardrobe rules?! Dylan Minnette is defending himself after getting thoroughly roasted for his casual attire at a recent event for the new Scream movie. “To everyone absolutely demolishing me for ‘underdressing’ to the ‘Scream premiere red carpet’ … it wasn’t a premiere,” the 13 Reasons Why star tweeted. “Our premiere was (sadly) cancelled. Of course I would’ve dressed for the occasion of a premiere sillies!!” Instead, Minnette clarified images of him on a red carpet were just from a “standard press junket day where there’s no pressure on a dress code.” It did make for an awkward image, though, when he appeared in a sweater and jeans while his co-stars showed up in suits. But Minnette said he had “no idea there would be a red carpet” at all, which we’re hoping turns out to be some sort of hazing ritual on the original cast’s part.   INSIDER 

Monday,  January 10th, 2022 

Goldman Sachs says Fed likely to hike interest rates 4 times in 2022 Goldman Sachs says it now expects the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates four times this year to keep the economy from overheating as inflation remains high and the nation nears full employment. “We continue to see hikes in March, June, and September, and have now added a hike in December,” Goldman’s Jan Hatzius said in a research note. The change came after newly released minutes from the Fed’s December meeting indicated that Fed leaders support speeding up plans to dial back their efforts to boost the recovery from pandemic-era economic problems with near-zero interest rates and monthly asset purchases. BLOOMBERG 

Russia and the U.S. begin a series of talks in Geneva in a effort to defuse tensions between both countries and Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

Russia, U.S. dampen expectations of breakthrough as Ukraine talks begin Russia and the United States on Monday will launch a week of what a top Russian diplomat predicted would be “difficult” talks in Geneva over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine. After a working dinner on Sunday to kick off the discussions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would “not make any concessions under pressure.” The meetings mark a first step toward a dialogue on defusing tensions over Russia’s deployment of 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, which has stoked concerns of a Russian invasion. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC’s This Week that he was not counting on any breakthroughs during the bilateral talks or during conversations in Brussels later this week at a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council. REUTERS 

Ukrainian authorities arrest an alleged Russian intelligence agent who was claimed to have attempted to recruit others to launch attacks in the city of Odessa. (MSN) 

Kazakhstan authorities say 164 people have died in protests At least 164 people have died in a week of anti-government protests in Kazakhstan, authorities in the former Soviet republic said Sunday. The dead included a 4-year-old girl. The office of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that nearly 6,000 people have been arrested in the worst unrest the nation has experienced since gaining its independence 30 years ago. The demonstrations broke out on Jan. 2 over rising fuel prices and quickly spread. Tokayev’s office said that authorities had brought the situation under control, and were conducting “cleanup” operations. A nationwide state of emergency and curfew remained in effect on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Tokayev to rescind his “shoot-to-kill” order against protesters.  BBC NEWS 

The Nigerian online newspaper, the Peoples Gazette, claims it has been raided by the Nigerian National Intelligence Agency. (Peoples Gazette) 

Tennis player Novak Djokovic is allowed entry to Australia following a federal court hearing which determined his visa to be permissible despite current pandemic health measures, which require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. (BBC News) 

The counsel for the Commonwealth Christopher Tran tells the court that Alex Hawke might use his personal prerogative as the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship to cancel Djokovic’s visa despite the court ruling against the Commonwealth. (ABC News Australia) 

Djokovic wins appeal after Australia revoked his visa Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic won his appeal of Australia’s decision to revoke his visa, clearing him to leave immigration detention at Melbourne’s Park Hotel on Monday. Judge Anthony Kelly ruled that the federal government’s rescinding of the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player’s visa was “unreasonable.” The government said Djokovic failed to comply with rules regarding his exemption from Australia’s coronavirus vaccination mandate. The judge’s decision potentially cleared Djokovic to play in next week’s Australian Open, where he will try for a record 21st Grand Slam Title. But lawyers for the federal government told the court that Australia’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, might exercise his personal power to again revoke Djokovic’s visa to protect public health in the country, which is experiencing a coronavirus surge. REUTERS 

Myanmar court sentences ousted Suu Kyi to another 4 years in prison A Myanmar court convicted ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday for possessing walkie-talkies in her home and violating COVID-19 protocols. The court sentenced Suu Kyi, 76, to four years in prison on the charges, adding to the two years she received for her Dec. 5 conviction on charges of inciting public unrest and another count of violating COVID-19 protocols. The earlier sentence was cut in half by army commander-in-chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the Feb. 1 coup that forced Suu Kyi and her government from office. Suu Kyi’s supporters said the walkie-talkies involved in the latest case belonged to her security detail. They said the charges were politically motivated. CNN 

Bronx apartment building fire kills 19 A fire in an apartment building in the Bronx killed 19 people on Sunday, including nine children, New York City officials said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the death toll, tweeting: “We’ve lost 19 of our neighbors today. It’s a tragedy beyond measure.” The blaze started around 11 a.m. in a 19-floor building. About 60 people were injured, 32 of them were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Smoke spread to every floor of the building, the city’s fire department commissioner, Daniel Nigro, said. Investigators determined that a malfunctioning electric space heater in a bedroom likely started the fire. REUTERS 

Taliban arrests Kabul professor who clashed with official on TV The Taliban have arrested Kabul University law and political science professor Faizullah Jalal in the latest sign of an escalating crackdown by Afghanistan’s new government, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Jalal gained national fame for confronting a Taliban official in a debate on live TV, calling Mohammad Naeem, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s political office in Doha, a “terrorist” and a “calf,” a common Afghan insult suggesting someone lacks intelligence. Taliban chief spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the arrest via Twitter and called Jalal a “fanatic,” posting screenshots of anti-Taliban messages on social media that Jalal’s relatives said were fake. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Comedian and ‘Full House’ star Bob Saget dies at 65 Comedian Bob Saget, best known for his breakout role as wholesome widowed dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom Full House, was found dead in his Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, hotel room on Sunday. He was 65. The local sheriff’s department said the cause of death was under investigation, but there were no signs of foul play or drug use. Saget was a famous stand-up comedian when he got the role on ABC’s Full House, which ran from fall 1987 through May 1995. Saget, who also hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos, was in Florida on a comedy tour. “The loss of Bob Saget hits deep,” actor Jason Alexander tweeted. “If you didn’t know him, he was kind and dear and cared about people deeply.” “Just the funniest and nicest,” said Jon Stewart. CNN 

2022 Golden Globe winners announced after private ceremony The Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Sunday night announced the 2022 Golden Globe winners following a private ceremony in Beverly Hills. On the comedy and musical side, Hacks won Best TV Series. Its star, Jean Smart, won Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series and Ted Lasso‘s Jason Sudeikis won for best actor. West Side Story won Best Picture, and the musical’s star, Rachel Zegler, took the acting award. Succession won for best TV drama series, and The Power of the Dog won Best Motion Picture. Will Smith (King Richard) and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) took the acting awards in the film drama category. Other winners include The Underground Railroad for Best Limited Series.   VARIETY 

The End

Sunday, January 9th, 2022 

The death toll from the protests in Kazakhstan increases to 164, including 103 who were killed in Almaty. 5,135 people have also been detained. (Al Jazeera) 

South Korean actor O Yeong-su wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Squid Game television series, becoming the first person from South Korea to win the honor. (Korea Times) 

Mj Rodriguez wins the Best Actress in the Pose television series, becoming the first trans actress to win a Golden Globe. (CNN) 

At least 19 people are killed and more than 60 others are injured after a fire spreads through a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx, New York City, United States. (CNN) (ABC News) 

Tianjin begins city-wide COVID-19 testing for 14 million people after 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, two of whom were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Guardian) 

The Greek government announces that fully vaccinated people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose seven months after receiving their second dose will be banned from entering most indoor venues and participating in many types of activities beginning on February 1. (Times of Malta) 

The West African nations of the 15-member bloc ECOWAS suspend diplomatic relations with Mali and announce that they are closing their borders with and imposing economic sanctions on Mali in response to an “unacceptable delay” to the country’s next general election. (Reuters) 

Sen. John Thune will seek a 4th term Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate minority whip widely seen as a possible successor to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), announced Saturday that he plans to run for re-election in 2022. Former President Donald Trump called for Thune to be unseated after Thune refused to join in Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Thune had expressed concerns about Trump’s continuing hold on the Republican Party and was considering retirement, but aggressive lobbying from his colleagues ultimately convinced him to run again. Three other Republicans — all aligning themselves with Trump — have announced that they will challenge Thune in the primary. Five other Republican senators are retiring in 2022. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Non-citizens can now vote in NYC elections A New York City bill allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections became law Sunday after Mayor Eric Adams declined to veto it. The new “Our City, Our Vote” measure will reportedly enfranchise around 800,000 legal, non-citizen New York City residents, including green card holders and “Dreamers” brought to the U.S. illegally as children and benefiting from deferred action. The city’s Board of Elections must submit an implementation plan by July. They will also have to print separate ballots for municipal races, since non-citizens will still be barred from voting in statewide and presidential elections. THE NEW YORK POST 

Obama, Biden, others recall Reid’s tenacity, telephone etiquette President Biden, former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) all spoke at the memorial service for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Las Vegas Saturday. Common themes in the speeches were Reid’s rise from inauspicious circumstances, his humility, his persistence, and his penchant for ending phone conversations without saying goodbye. Reid’s body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday before being interred in his hometown of Searchlight, Nevada. CBS NEWS 

Ethiopian airstrike reportedly hits displaced persons camp Aid workers reported Saturday that an Ethiopian airstrike killed 56 people and injured 30 in a Tigrayan displaced persons camp late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Despite continued reports of atrocities, the Ethiopian government has made attempts at rapprochement. A statement the government released Friday announced that several opposition leaders had been released from prison in an attempt to open dialogue and achieve reconciliation following more than a year of war. The newly freed prisoners include several leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as well as members of other ethnic and regional anti-government militias. REUTERS 

At least 22 dead after snowstorm in Pakistan traps thousands in their cars Snowstorms in Pakistan stranded thousands of tourists in their cars overnight as they attempted to reach Muree, a mountain vacation destination northeast of Islamabad. As of Saturday, 22 people have been confirmed dead from hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning, including at least 10 children. Of the 22 dead, 8 were from a single family — Islamabad police officer Naveed Iqbal, his wife, and their six children. Military personnel and first responders provided food and blankets, helped clear roads, and evacuated over 300 people. BBC 

Government says situation in Kazakhstan has ‘stabilized’ Officials from Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry announced Sunday that the situation in the Central Asian country has ‘stabilized’ and that all government buildings have been re-taken. Authorities also announced that several “strategic facilities have been transferred under the protection of the united peacekeeping contingent of the CSTO member states,” a contingent made up mostly of Russian troops. During a week of unrest kicked off by an increase in the price of liquified petroleum gas, protestors burned the country’s presidential residence and stormed its largest airport, which remains closed. More than 5,000 people have reportedly been detained. REUTERS 

Transgender Ivy League swimmers face off Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who has shattered records on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team after three years of competing as a man, lost two events Saturday to Yale’s Iszac Henig, who is in the process of transitioning from female to male. Henig explained in a June New York Times article that he was allowed to continue competing on the women’s team after he agreed to delay testosterone treatment. After one event, Henig pulled down his bathing suit top, revealing the scars from his double mastectomy. “Everything is messed up,” one UPenn parent said. “The NCAA needs to do something about this.” THE NEW YORK POST 

‘Deltacron’ hybrid COVID variant discovered in Cyprus A biology professor in Cyprus claims to have discovered a new COVID-19 strain that is a genetic hybrid of the Omicron and Delta variants, Bloomberg reported Saturday. “We will see in the future if this strain is more pathological or more contagious or if it will prevail,” University of Cyprus Professor Leondios Kostrikis said in a Friday interview on Cyprus’ Sigma TV network. In contrast to the deadly Delta variant, the Omicron variant is highly contagious but has not produced a corresponding uptick in deaths. Around 25 cases of Deltacron have been identified. CNBC 

Australian court to hear Djokovic deportation appeal Monday Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who is facing deportation from Australia, will get his (virtual) day in court Monday morning. Djokovic was denied entry into Australia on Wednesday after his visa was canceled due to his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. He was originally scheduled to be flown out of the country Thursday but was allowed to remain in an Australian quarantine hotel pending the results of his appeal. His lawyers plan to argue that, because Djokovic had COVID-19 last month and recovered, he qualifies for a medical exemption to Australia’s vaccine mandate. A request from the Australian Department of Home Affairs that the hearing be postponed until Wednesday was denied. REUTERS 

Baby handed to U.S. soldier during Afghanistan withdrawal reunited with family Baby Sohail Ahmadi, whose parents handed him to a U.S. soldier during the chaos of last summer’s evacuation from Afghanistan, was reunited with relatives in Kabul Saturday. Mirza Ali Ahmadi and his wife Suraya had passed their then-two-month-old son over the wall at Hamid Karzai International Airport, fearing that the baby would be crushed by the surging crowd. Although the couple later gained access to the airport and were evacuated to the U.S., they were unable to locate their son. The baby was found with 29-year-old taxi driver Hamid Safi, who had taken him home from the airport. Sohail was placed with his grandfather, who plans to send the child to his parents soon. REUTERS 

Saturday, January 8th, 2022 

At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News) 

At least 200 people were killed by a bandit group from January 4 to 6 in Zamfara State in northwestern Nigeria. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 21 people are killed by a snowstorm on a highway in Murree, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. (BBC News) 

At least seven people are killed and 32 others injured when a rock face collapses onto boats at Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. (The Washington Post) 

A Cypriot scientist detects a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 called “Deltacron”, which combines genomes found in the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and genetic signatures found in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC) 

Romania reintroduces mandatory face mask wearing in outdoor and indoor public spaces; reduces the operating hours and capacity of bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and sporting events; and also reduces the quarantine period, amidst concern that the next wave of COVID-19 could overwhelm the health system. (Associated Press) 

Mexico reports a record 30,671 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.1 million. The country also surpasses 300,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Bloomberg) 

Volcán Wolf, the tallest mountain and volcano in the Galápagos Islands, erupts. (The Guardian) 

Saturday, January 8th, 2022 

Chicago 

At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News) 

Romania reintroduces mandatory face masks in outdoor and indoor public spaces, reducing the operating hours and capacity of bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and sporting events, and cuts the quarantine period, amid concern that the next wave of COVID-19 could overwhelm health system. (AP) 

The tallest mountain and volcano in the Galápagos Islands, Volcán Wolf, erupts. (The Guardian) 

At least 6 people are killed when a rock face collapses onto boats at Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Brazil. (Washington Post) 

Kazakhstan protests die down as Russian troops enter country Protests in Kazakhstan that left at least 26 demonstrators and 18 law enforcement officers dead gave way to an uneasy calm Saturday as some 2,500 Russian troops arrived in the country. Kazakh authorities also announced Saturday that Karim Massimov, who until recently headed the country’s National Security Committee, had been detained on suspicion of high treason. Some observers suggest that, by arresting Massimov and calling in Russian troops, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is attempting to escape the shadow of his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who led the former Soviet republic from its independence in 1991 until 2019 and has remained influential. Massimov served as prime minister under Nazarbayev from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2014 to 2016. Tokayev removed Nazarbayev from his position as chair of Kazakhstan’s Security Council Wednesday. THE WASHINGTON POST 

U.S. COVID hospitalizations approach record high According to a new tally by Reuters, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States could reach a new record high by the end of the week. Hospitalizations have spiked in recent weeks as the more infectious but probably less deadly Omicron variant became the dominant strain of the virus. Even as hospitalizations from the virus increase — to almost 123,000 — deaths remain steady. Additionally, many analysts have expressed concerns that hospitalization numbers are overinflated. Data released Friday by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) revealed that more than half of the COVID patients in New York City hospitals were admitted for reasons other than COVID and only later tested positive for the virus. REUTERS 

Wednesday wasn’t the first time Cruz called Jan. 6 a ‘terrorist attack’ CNN’s Daniel Dale released a fact check Friday showing that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who attempted to play off calling the Jan. 6 riot a “terrorist attack” during a Wednesday Senate committee meeting as a one-time instance of “sloppy” phrasing, was not being entirely accurate. According to Dale, Cruz used the phrase “terrorist attack” to describe what happened on Jan. 6 at least 17 times prior to Wednesday. Cruz made his excuse during a Thursday appearance on Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, during which he apologized for echoing what many Republicans consider a left-wing narrative designed to justify a crackdown on Trump supporters. Carlson was not eager to let Cruz off the hook. CNN 

Men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery get life in prison The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery have been sentenced to life in prison. Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan were convicted of murder in November after chasing down Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man. Travis McMichael fatally shot him, and all three men — all of whom are white — were found guilty of felony murder. On Friday, they were each sentenced to life in prison, the McMichaels without the possibility of parole. Bryan was given the possibility of parole after 30 years. The case is expected to be appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Supreme Court appears hesitant to embrace Biden’s vaccine plan The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday appeared skeptical of President Biden’s broad COVID vaccination-or-testing requirement for the nation’s large employers. The justices did, however, seem more likely to back to a separate vaccine requirement for health care workers at facilities that receive federal funds. The administration’s rule, which was supposed to go into effect on Jan. 4, mandates employers with over 100 employees require vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing as a condition of employment. OSHA pushed back the date in response to legal challenges. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

U.K.: 4th jab not necessary for elderly Government public health advisers in the United Kingdom recommended Friday that nursing home residents and people over the age of 80 not be given a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine. According to U.K. public health data, a fourth jab is unnecessary because even three months after the third dose, protection against hospitalization remains at around 90 percent for those over 65. Prof. Wei Shen Lim, chair of the U.K. Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, said that, given the need to focus on getting third shots into the arms of the general population, there is “no immediate need” to boost seniors again, but that public health officials could revisit the possibility at a later date. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Legendary actor Sidney Poitier dies at 94 Sidney Poitier, the legendary actor who made history by becoming the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor, has died. He was 94. Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964 for Lilies of the Field. “It is a long journey to this moment,” he said in his acceptance speech. Poitier directed numerous films, as well, including Buck and the Preacher and Stir Crazy, and he served as Bahamian ambassador to Japan from 1997 through 2007. Then-President Barack Obama honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. TMZ 

Transgender contestant Amy Schneider becomes the 1st woman to win $1 million on ‘Jeopardy!’ Amy Schneider continued her impressive streak on Friday’s Jeopardy!, and her winnings now total $1,019,600 after 28 games. This makes her the first woman to ever win more than $1 million on the quiz show. Schneider has been making history throughout her Jeopardy! run. She previously became the first transgender contestant to qualify for the show’s Tournament of Champions, and she holds the records for most money and most consecutive games won by a woman. Schneider is the fifth person to win over $1 million on Jeopardy!, and the fourth to do so during regular-season play. 

Friday,  January 7th, 2022 

Chicago 

Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issues his security forces a shoot-to-kill without warning order in an attempt to end the ongoing protests. (Reuters) 

The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that Russian troops deployed to Kazakhstan have maintained control of Almaty International Airport and secured critical government buildings in Nur-Sultan, including the Ak Orda Presidential Palace. (Bloomberg) (The New York Times) 

Sixteen people are dead and 10 others are injured during a gas explosion in Chongqing, China. (CNN) 

The Food and Drug Administration begins accepting requests for certification of COVID-19 antigen test kits for home use. Previously, antigen test kits were only available for professional use. (CNN Philippines) 

Japan declares a quasi-state of emergency for Okinawa, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima prefectures, which host U.S. military bases and are reporting an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The quasi-emergency measures will take effect on January 9. (Kyodo News) 

Bulgaria imposes a rule that requires almost all travellers aged above 12 years from the European Union and the United Kingdom to have a negative PCR test in the previous 72 hours along with a valid COVID-19 certificate prior to arrival, in order to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Euronews) 

German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of 16 states agree to reduce the isolation period for people who have received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and also toughen the requirement to enter bars and restaurants to include a booster shot or a negative test result in addition to proof of vaccination or recovery as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the country. (ABC News) 

Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.‘s anti-COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of severe disease. (Reuters) 

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announces that Nigeria is working on developing its own COVID-19 vaccine. (CNN) 

The three defendants convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery are sentenced to life in prison. Travis and Greg McMichael are sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, while William Bryan is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. (NBC News) 

Researchers from the University of Bern announce the discovery of TOI-2257 b, an eccentric exoplanet that orbits near a red dwarf. (Phys.org) 

Biden says Trump lies fueled Jan. 6 Capitol attack President Biden, marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, called the insurrection an attack on democracy. He accused his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, of fueling the violence by spreading a “web of lies” in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. “For the first time in our history, a president … tried to prevent a peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said outside the House chamber. Thursday marked a year since a mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol and tried to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden’s victory over Trump. The former president, who canceled a planned Jan. 6 press conference, said Biden was using “political theater” to distract from his own policy failures.  REUTERS 

Kazakhstan tells troops to use lethal force against protesters Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said in a televised address Friday that he had authorized police and soldiers to shoot to kill when confronting “terrorists” participating in violent anti-government protests in the former Soviet nation. “Those who don’t surrender will be eliminated,” Tokayev said. He dismissed calls for talks with protesters as “nonsense,” saying it was impossible to negotiate “with criminals, murderers.” Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry said 26 protesters had been killed as of Friday. Another 18 have been wounded and more than 3,000 people detained. Eighteen law enforcement officers reportedly have died in the unrest, and 700 have been injured. The demonstrations started over spiking fuel prices but reflect broad dissatisfaction with the government. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Ex-advisers urge Biden to shift approach to pandemic  Six of President Biden’s former health advisers on Thursday publicly called for revising the government’s COVID-19 strategy to focus on living with the coronavirus instead of eliminating it. In three opinion articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the experts, who served on Biden’s transition team, said the United States should avoid getting caught in “a perpetual state of emergency,” and start approaching the coronavirus as one of several respiratory viruses to address together, with data tracking, testing, and goals on limiting hospitalizations. University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel, who coordinated the effort, told The Washington Post the experts were trying to outline “a national strategy … to find a new normal.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

WHO confirms record 9.5 million COVID cases in last week The World Health Organization on Thursday reported that a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were confirmed worldwide in the last week. The total marked a 71 percent jump compared to the previous week in what the United Nations health agency called a “tsunami” fueled by the highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the total of 9,520,488 new cases was probably an undercount, due to holiday delays. There were 41,178 coronavirus deaths in the same seven-day period, down from 44,680 the week before. “The tsunami of cases is so huge and quick that it is overwhelming health systems around the world,” the WHO chief said in a news conference. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Supreme Court to hear arguments on Biden vaccine mandates The Supreme Court is scheduled to review two challenges to President Biden’s coronavirus vaccination requirements for private employers and health-care facilities on Friday. Biden has said the rules, which would affect nearly 100 million workers, will help make it safer for people to go to work by expanding protection against COVID-19. “Too many people remain unvaccinated for us to get out of this pandemic for good,” he said in November when he announced the mandates. The measures were supposed to take effect on Jan. 4, but they have been put on hold while courts consider challenges by business and religious groups that argue they exceed the Biden administration’s authority. The high court will decide whether to block the rules while the cases continue. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Stephanie Grisham: Trump ‘gleefully’ watched Capitol attack on TV Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that former President Donald Trump didn’t just fail to quickly condemn last year’s attack on the Capitol as it happened, he happily watched the situation unfold from the safety of the White House. “All I know about that day is that [Trump] was in the dining room, gleefully watching on his TV, as he often did, ‘Look at all of the people fighting for me,’ hitting rewind, watching it again,” Grisham told CNN’s John Berman. Grisham also revealed how a group of about 15 ex-Trump officials, including her, are planning to meet in the coming weeks to strategize ways to stop the former president and show those in the country that still believe in him “who he really is.” ROLLING STONE 

Politico: Harris was at DNC on Jan. 6, 2021, when pipe bomb was discovered  Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, when a pipe bomb was discovered outside the building, Politico reported Thursday, citing four people familiar with her activities that day. Capitol Police started investigating the pipe bomb at 1:07 p.m., and evacuated an unnamed “protectee” seven minutes later, according to an official Capitol Police timeline obtained by Politico. The four sources, including a White House official and a former law enforcement official, confirmed that Harris was the Secret Service protectee mentioned in the timeline. The DNC bomb threat was neutralized at 4:36 p.m., an hour after another pipe bomb was discovered at the Republican National Committee. No suspects have been arrested. POLITICO 

Mortgage rates rise to highest level since May 2020 U.S. mortgage rates jumped this week to their highest level since May 2020. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.22 percent in the seven-day period that ended Thursday, up from 3.11 percent the previous week. A year ago, the average 30-year rate was 2.65 percent, the lowest on record. Ultra-low interest rates have helped drive a housing boom since the pandemic started two years ago, as people who held onto their jobs and had savings took advantage of low borrowing costs to buy bigger houses as Americans shifted to working, studying, and socializing virtually, from home. Economists have expected rates to rise as the economy improves, inflation looms, and the Federal Reserve tapers its efforts to boost the recovery with asset purchases and low rates. CNN 

Moderna CEO says people might need a 4th vaccine shot next fall Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Thursday that people might need to get a fourth shot of the company’s coronavirus vaccine in the fall to restore strong protection against COVID-19. Bancel said people who got booster shots last fall likely would get through the winter with adequate resistance to infection and severe illness, but that the vaccine’s efficacy would wane in subsequent months. U.K. data found that Moderna and Pfizer’s two-dose vaccines were just 10 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from the fast-spreading Omicron variant 20 weeks after the second dose. Protection was restored to 75 percent two weeks after a third booster shot, but efficacy declined to 40 percent to 50 percent 10 weeks later. CNBC 

Peter Bogdanovich, who directed ‘The Last Picture Show,’ dies at 82 Oscar-nominated writer-director Peter Bogdanovich died early Thursday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter Antonia Bogdanovich told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 82. Bogdanovich catapulted to A-list status in 1971 with his second film, The Last Picture Show. The black-and-white drama set in a Texas town earned eight Academy Awards nominations — including directing and adapted screenplay (shared with Larry McMurtry) for Bogdanovich — and supporting acting awards for Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson. Bogdanovich followed up with two more well-known films including What’s Up, Doc? and Paper Moon. His later hits included 1985’s Mask. Critic Matt Zoller Seitz reflected that with Bogdanovich’s death, “one of the last remaining links to classic Hollywood is also gone.” THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Jobs report expected to show hiring rebound before Omicron hit  Economists expect the federal jobs report to show Friday that hiring remained strong in December. A survey by data provider FactSet found that economists expected a gain of 400,000 jobs last month, up from 210,000 in November. The unemployment rate was projected to drop from 4.2 percent to 4.1 percent. The numbers will reflect the hiring situation before the Omicron coronavirus variant sparked a spike in COVID-19 cases that has started impacting some businesses. Companies had record numbers of open positions last year. Many sharply increased pay, nevertheless prompting a wave of resignations as people sought better pay. Economists expect job growth to slow in January and early February, although “the hit from Omicron will probably be modest and relatively brief,” TD Securities economist Jim O’Sullivan said.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

GameStop working on launching NFT marketplace Struggling brick-and-mortar videogame retailer GameStop is working toward creating a marketplace for nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, as part of a turnaround plan, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the plans. GameStop has hired more than 20 people to operate a new unit focused on developing the marketplace, and is recruiting game developers and publishers to list NFTs on the marketplace, which it aims to launch later this year, the Journal reported. Prices of NFTs, a technology allowing proof of ownership of digital goods stored on a blockchain, have risen sharply in recent months, driven by enthusiasm among holders of Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. GameStop shares shot up by 14 percent in after-hours trading after the Journal report. CNBC 

Julia Fox describes her ‘instant connection’ with Kanye West The Kanye West and Julia Fox saga just got stranger. The Uncut Gems actress has gone ahead and published a two-paragraph dispatch in Interview magazine walking us through her odd second date with Ye. First, she describes meeting West on New Year’s Eve and developing an “instant connection,” writing, “His energy is so fun to be around.” Fox then recounts how they went to see Slave Play in New York and how at dinner, West “directed an entire photo shoot for me while people dined.” Afterward, West surprised her with “an entire hotel suite full of clothes,” which “felt like a real Cinderella moment,” leading Fox to ask the natural question of “who does things like this on a second date?”— though she seems to mean this in a good way. Despite what she just finished describing, Fox claims “everything with us has been so organic.” TMZ pointed out that West appeared to be “trying to create a new version of” his estranged wife Kim Kardashian by dressing Fox “top to bottom in Balenciaga.” So yes, we’re apparently kicking off 2022 with a Kanye West remake of Vertigo.  INTERVIEW 

Jim Carrey shows up on the Weeknd’s new album Ladies and gentlemen … Jim Carrey. Just in time for the weekend, the Weeknd dropped his new album Dawn FM on Friday, in which Jim Carrey naturally shows up to voice a purgatory radio DJ. Why not? The album’s opening track features Carrey as a host on “Dawn FM,” telling listeners, “You’ve been in the dark for way too long. It’s time to walk into the light and accept your fate with open arms.” The Weeknd has described the album as being “like the listener is dead,” and they’re tuning into a radio host “helping you transition to the other side.” By the final track, Carrey performs a spoken word poem he co-wrote, telling listeners, “If pain’s living on when your body’s long gone, and your phantom regret hasn’t let it go yet, you may not have died in the way that you must.” Alrighty then!  USA TODAY 

Rooney Mara set to play Audrey Hepburn in a biopic What is it with this week and major actors being cast as Hollywood icons? After Chris Evans was cast as Gene Kelly, Rooney Mara is now set to play Audrey Hepburn in an upcoming film directed by Call Me By Your Name‘s Luca Guadagnino. Mara, who has earned Oscar nominations for her roles in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Carol, will reportedly also be producing the movie. The casting certainty seemed to make sense, and back in 2012, The Cut even wrote an article suggesting Mara could be the “new Audrey Hepburn.” But Emily in Paris star Lily Collins immediately began to trend on Twitter as some argued she should have gotten the role instead — leading writer Akilah Hughes to offer the brutal rebuttal, “Saying Lily Collins should play Audrey Hepburn is a real mean way to say you don’t think Audrey Hepburn could act.”  DEADLINE 

The Golden Globes will now be a ‘private event’ If the Golden Globes is held but no one is around to see it, does it make a sound? The awards are set for this Sunday, but after the ceremony got canceled by NBC, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has now confirmed there won’t be any way to watch it at all. “This year’s event is going to be a private event and will not be livestreamed,” an HFPA spokesperson said, promising to post “real time updates on winners on the Golden Globes website and our social media.” It’s been a stunning downfall for an awards ceremony that faced massive backlash in 2021 over its shocking lack of diversity and alleged corruption. There won’t actually be any celebrities in attendance on Sunday, and according to Deadline, the only people who will be there are “selected members of the HFPA and grant recipients of the organization’s philanthropy.” Needless to say, there’s no need for any FOMO here. DEADLINE 

Ben Affleck says ‘The Flash’ has his favorite scenes as Batman Will Ben Affleck get to play Batman in a movie that’s not terrible? Affleck teased his return as Batman in DC’s upcoming The Flash, revealing to The Herald Sun, “Maybe my favorite scenes in terms of Batman and the interpretation of Batman that I have done, were in the Flash movie.” Affleck had a pretty rough experience playing Batman in the critically panned movies Batman v Superman and Justice League, though Zack Snyder’s recut of the latter film got more of a favorable reaction last year. But after seemingly retiring as the character, Affleck returns in The Flash, which involves timeline shenanigans bringing multiple Batmen into the mix including Michael Keaton’s version. Affleck recalled remembering thinking while shooting The Flash, “Wow — I think I have finally figured it out.’” We’re rooting for you, Batfleck.  SCREEN RANT 

Thursday, January 6th, 2022 

Chicago 

Twenty-six anti-government protestors are killed during a military operation in Almaty. The death toll of security forces increases to 18 with two of the officers being beheaded. (BBC News) 

Explosions and heavy gunfire are reported near the main Republic Square in Almaty. (The Independent) 

The Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance approves what it describes a peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan in response to an official request for military assistance from Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. (Yahoo! News) 

Russian-led CSTO forces enter Kazakhstan in order to help the government restore control of the country, according to a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova. (Al Arabiya) (The Guardian) 

Two journalists are killed and their bodies burned during a gang attack in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC News) 

The United States Armed Forces order all personnel stationed in Japan to wear masks when traveling off-base amid criticism of their handling of the increase in COVID-19 cases in areas where they are based in large numbers, such as Okinawa and Iwakuni. (ABC News) 

The Chicago Public Schools announces that schools in Chicago, Illinois, has been canceled for a third consecutive day as teachers in the city go on a strike over COVID-19 protocols. (National Review) (Chicago Tribune) 

A 79-year-old man in Buckfastleigh, Devon, becomes the first person in the United Kingdom to test positive for bird flu. (The Guardian) 

The French National Assembly votes 214−93 with 27 abstentions to approve a bill to transform the COVID-19 health pass into a vaccine pass, which would require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of vaccination in order to enter most public places and use inter-regional public transport. The bill will be debated in the Senate early next week and is expected to come into effect later this month. (Euronews) 

Phillipine president Rodrigo Duterte signs into law a bill outlawing child marriage, with violators facing up to 12 months in prison. Some portions of the law will not go into effect for one year in order to allow for Muslim and indigenous communities to prepare. (NDTV) 

2021 Men’s Singles champion Novak Djokovic is detained by the Australian Border Force for failing to provide a valid medical exemption to explain his not being vaccinated against COVID-19 under federal guidelines. The Victoria State Government and Tennis Australia had previously approved Djokovic’s exemption under their own guidelines, which was not endorsed by the federal Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. (The Guardian) 

 
Garland vows to ‘hold all Jan. 6 perpetrators’ accountable Attorney General Merrick Garland promised Wednesday to “hold all Jan. 6 perpetrators, at any level, accountable” for last year’s attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters. “We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” Garland said in a speech to Justice Department employees. The comments came the day before the first anniversary of the deadly attack by rioters aiming to prevent Congress from certifying Trump’s loss to President Biden in the 2020 election. More than 700 people have been arrested for participating in the insurrection. The FBI is still looking for another 350 suspects, including 250 people accused of assaulting police officers. On Thursday, President Biden will go to the Capitol to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the attack. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

CDC backs Pfizer boosters for adolescents The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday endorsed giving the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus booster to children ages 12 to 15, five months after their initial two-dose series of shots. “It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.” Walensky’s approval came hours after CDC advisers voted 13-1 to recommend the change, and strengthened the recommendation for 16- and 17-year-olds to get the booster. Health officials had previously recommended that people get the Pfizer booster six months after their second dose, but cut the wait to five months to expand protection against the fast-spreading Omicron variant. NPR 

Fire in Philadelphia rowhouse kills at least 12, including 8 children A fire ripped through a crowded rowhouse in Philadelphia’s Fairmont district on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people, including eight children. “This is without a doubt one of the most tragic days in our city’s history,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said. Eight people managed to escape the flames. Firefighters said that when they arrived they saw flames were shooting up from the second floor of the three-story, 2,300-square-foot house, which was operated by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Witnesses said screams from the building woke them up. Firefighters managed to control the blaze within 50 minutes. Investigators said smoke detectors in the building failed. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 

Fed minutes show support for faster rate hikes to fight inflation Federal Reserve officials last month discussed speeding up their timetable for raising interest rates, with the first hike coming as soon as March, according to minutes of Fed policymakers’ Dec. 14-15 meeting that were released Wednesday. The minutes indicated that Fed leaders believed that the quicker pace could be justified to fight high inflation occurring at the same time as a tight labor market. Some officials at the central bank also supported cutting the Fed’s $8.76 trillion portfolio of bonds and other assets after the interest rate increases start. Fed officials said in projections released after the meeting that they expected three quarter-percent rate increases in 2022. During much of 2021, Fed officials said rising inflation was mostly due to supply-chain disruptions, but the persistence of high inflation has increased pressure on the Fed to move faster. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Capitol Police chief vows to fix problems exposed by Jan. 6 attack J. Thomas Manger, the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, told lawmakers on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress that his department was taking steps to fix security shortcomings exposed by the insurrection. Manger vowed to implement more than 100 recommendations to address the issues. “We fully understand the need to restore confidence in our ability to fulfill our mission each day, no matter the circumstances,” Manger said in written testimony to the Senate Rules Committee. The panel last month received a critique on the Capitol Police from the agency’s inspector general, Michael A. Bolton, who made 103 recommendations, including upgrading riot gear and other equipment, and streamlining intelligence operations. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

White House says fresh COVID stimulus under discussion The White House said Wednesday that it is continuing to talk with members of Congress and others about the possibility of another round of stimulus funding to address fallout from the latest coronavirus surge. Recent economic data indicates that the economy is doing well, with private payrolls increasing, holiday sales strong, and supply chain bottlenecks easing. But economists warn that spiking COVID-19 cases, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, have started to dent economic activity. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) told CNN a bipartisan group is looking into whether Congress can provide aid to restaurants and other industries expected to be hit hard by the latest COVID-19 wave, although no formal deal has been proposed. REUTERS 

Kazakhstan protests turn deadly as Russia-led troops arrive to back government Protesters stormed Kazakhstan’s largest airport on Wednesday as anti-government demonstrations that began last weekend over higher fuel prices intensified. Protesters also set fire to the president’s residence and several other government buildings. Kazakhstan’s interior ministry said eight law enforcement officers and national guard members have been killed in the unrest, and more than 300 injured. A police spokesperson said dozens of protesters were killed. “Peacekeepers” from a Russia-led military alliance arrived to back the government at the request of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who fired his government and declared a two-week state of emergency in response to the protests. BBC Russian correspondent Olga Ivshina wrote that analysts say “the Kazakh government clearly underestimated how angry the population was.” BBC NEWS 

Australia denies Djokovic entry over vaccine exemption Australian authorities on Thursday told Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, that he would have to leave the country because he failed to provide adequate evidence supporting a medical exemption from the country’s coronavirus vaccine requirement. “Mr. Djokovic’s visa has been canceled,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted. “Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules.” Djokovic had traveled all day Wednesday from Dubai to Australia to defend his Australian Open singles championship. The exemption was supposed to allow him to play even though he has not been vaccinated. A judge said he would be allowed to stay in the country pending a Monday hearing on a legal challenge to the order to leave. ESPN 

Grammys postponed due to risks from Omicron surge The Recording Academy and CBS announced Wednesday that they are postponing the 64th Grammy Awards, saying “holding the show on Jan. 31 simply contains too many risks” given the wave of COVID-19 cases blamed on the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant. The Recording Academy said it would announce a new date “soon.” “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority,” the Recording Academy said in a joint statement with its longtime television partner. This will be the second straight year the Grammys have been delayed due to the pandemic. Last year’s ceremony was pushed back from Jan. 31 to March 14. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Fed minutes show support for faster rate hikes to fight inflation Federal Reserve officials last month discussed speeding up their timetable for raising interest rates, with the first hike coming as soon as March, according to minutes of Fed policymakers’ Dec. 14-15 meeting that were released Wednesday. The minutes indicated that Fed leaders believed that the quicker pace could be justified to fight high inflation now that the job market is strong enough that lower rates are no longer needed. Some officials at the central bank also supported cutting the Fed’s $8.76 trillion portfolio of bonds and other assets after the interest rate increases start. Fed officials said in projections released after the meeting that they expected three quarter-percent rate increases in 2022. THE WALL STREET JOURNALTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

GM unveils fully electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup General Motors on Wednesday unveiled its fully electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The announcement presented a new challenge to EV powerhouse Tesla, and sent GM’s stock rising. Ford revealed a day earlier that demand for its F-150 Lightning electric pickups had jumped. GM’s full-size electric Silverado is intended to go 400 miles on a full charge. A Work Truck version designed for fleet buyers will be priced at $39,900. It is expected to go on sale in spring 2023. The fully loaded RST First Edition model will cost $105,000, and be available in fall 2023. Both versions will get 100 miles of range in 10 minutes with a DC fast charger. INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILYENGADGET 

White House says fresh COVID stimulus under discussion The White House said Wednesday that it is continuing to talk with members of Congress and others about the possibility of another round of stimulus funding to address fallout from the latest coronavirus surge. Recent economic data indicates that the economy is doing well, with private payrolls increasing, holiday sales strong, and supply chain bottlenecks easing. But economists warn that spiking COVID-19 cases, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, have started to dent economic activity. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) told CNN a bipartisan group is looking into whether Congress can provide aid to restaurants and other industries expected to be hit hard by the latest COVID-19 wave, although no formal deal has been proposed. REUTERS 

WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS weigh possible CW Network sale AT&T’s WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS are considering selling the CW Network, which they jointly own, and could reach a deal soon, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night. The potential buyers include Nexstar Media Group, the nation’s biggest broadcaster and a large owner of affiliates of the teen-focused network, the people close to the talks told the Journal. WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS reportedly might sell a significant stake, or all of the CW. They have been exploring strategic options for several months. The CW Network is not profitable on its own, but it produces valuable content for the parent companies’ other platforms. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Jessica Chastain went to the hospital after fight scene on ‘The 355’ Jessica Chastain apparently brought some Tom Cruise energy to her new film. The actress spoke with James Corden about doing stunts on the action movie The 355, one of which went a bit awry. During a fight scene on a marble floor, Chastain explained she “had to fall and hit my head” but “misjudged the distance,” and everyone on set stopped and “looked scared” when she “heard a crack.” Her stunt double then came up and uttered the ominous phrase “I’m sorry, but I have to put it back in” while reaching toward her head. “I guess it was just a bruise she was pushing back in my head,” Chastain said. “I did a couple of more takes because, you know, I don’t give up easy, and then I went to the hospital.” Chastain previously revealed a separate moment when she hurt herself while jumping from a ledge, which is actually in the film. And now to take a giant sip of coffee and check the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score for confirmation that all this brutal work was worth it… CNN 

Tom Holland unsuccessfully pitched a young James Bond film Tom Holland’s pitch for a young James Bond movie didn’t leave producers stirred. The Spider-Man actor revealed in a new interview with Total Film he came up with an idea for a movie about a young James Bond and even pitched it — unsuccessfully. Holland explained, “It didn’t really make sense. It didn’t work. It was the dream of a young kid, and I don’t think the Bond estate were particularly interested.” The meeting wasn’t a complete waste of time, though, as Holland said his idea for a Bond origin film ended up evolving into the Uncharted movie, in which Holland stars as a younger version of Nathan Drake than in the video games. Holland has previously expressed interest in being the next James Bond, telling Variety he’d “love” to do it, though we’re not convinced the gig won’t somehow end up going to Mike Richards.  TOTAL FILM 

Denzel Washington doesn’t recall clash with Ellen Pompeo on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ I don’t know her. In an interview with Variety, Denzel Washington was asked about Ellen Pompeo revealing they had a heated clash on the set of Grey’s Anatomy when he directed an episode, something that apparently didn’t make much of an impression with him. Pompeo claimed Washington “went ham on my a–” on the set in 2015 and that the two “went at it,” with Pompeo recalling telling him, “Listen, motherf—er, this is my show!” But Variety says that when he was asked about this incident, Washington sidestepped the question and said he doesn’t recall this day. “No, no,” Washington said, before grinning and adding, “But it’s all good.” Back when Pompeo shared the story, she wasn’t exactly showered with support for it, with journalist Felice León on MSNBC deeming it a “typical case of a white woman white womaning.”  VARIETY 

‘The Sopranos’ star Michael Imperioli cast in ‘The White Lotus’ Christopher Moltisanti himself is checking back in at HBO. Michael Imperioli, best known for playing Christopher on HBO’s The Sopranos, has been cast as one of the leads in the second season of The White Lotus. The series from Mike White stars a group of characters staying at a resort in Hawaii — though this follow-up will reportedly be taking place at another location following a new set of protagonists, Jennifer Coolidge may be returning from the first season. Imperioli will be starring as a “man traveling with his elderly father and recent college-graduate son,” Deadline says. With Imperioli’s help, The White Lotus will be following in the grand tradition of shows returning for more seasons despite allegedly being a limited series, so it may soon be time to officially start calling that genre “limited-unless-a-lot-of-people-watch-it series.”  DEADLINE 

Olivia Jade says she ‘worked really hard at school’ Olivia Jade doesn’t want people to think she didn’t work “really hard at school” just because her parents illegally paid $500,000 in bribes to get her into college. In a new episode of her podcast, the 22-year-old YouTuber and daughter of Mossimo Giannulli and Lori Loughlin said there’s a “big misconception about me” that she doesn’t work hard, to which she responded, “I didn’t have to start my YouTube when I was 14. I did put in a lot of work.” Jade, while acknowledging she lives a “very blessed and fortunate and privileged life” thanks to her famous parents, also said she “had straight A’s” in high school and “worked really hard.” Jade’s parents both went to prison after pleading guilty to paying to get her and her sister into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits, even though they don’t row. While reviewing her critical comments, Jade also read aloud a review of her show that declared it “objectively terrible.”   PAGE SIX 

The End

Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 

Chris Evans will reportedly play Gene Kelly in a movie He can do this all day — and by this, we mean tap dance. Captain America star Chris Evans is reportedly in talks to play Gene Kelly in an upcoming film. The project is reportedly based on Evans’ original idea, following a 12-year-old boy who develops an imagined friendship with the classic film star while working on the MGM lot in the 1950s. Knives Out director Rian Johnson is reuniting with Evans to produce the film, while Skyfall co-writer John Logan will write it. Weirdly enough, this will make Evans the second Avenger to line up a movie in recent weeks about a famous actor and dancer, as Spider-Man star Tom Holland is set to play Fred Astaire in a separate movie at Sony. Could a Tap Dancing Avengers spin-off be far behind?  VARIETY

Nicolas Cage regretfully retired from karaoke Someone out there ruined Nicolas Cage performing karaoke for the rest of us. The National Treasure star said he used to love karaoke, but he gave it up after a video of him singing “Purple Rain” went viral a few years ago. “For me, karaoke was like therapy until someone videotaped my punk-rock version of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ and it went everywhere and I said, ‘I’m not going to karaoke anymore,’” Cage said.  The video can be seen on YouTube under the brutal title of “Nicolas Cage Ruins Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ During Bizarre Karaoke Session,” and when it went viral in 2019, TMZ suggested “the performance was fueled by his desire to annul his recent marriage of four days.” Cage reflected that “singing is therapy,” adding, “Karaoke’s supposed to be private. It’s like a prayer.” But Andrew Garfield tried to convince Cage to come out of karaoke retirement, telling him, “Don’t steal the gift from the world. You need to keep giving.”  THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Jessica Chastain’s grandmother sat on Bradley Cooper’s lap Really, can you blame her? On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jessica Chastain described her efforts to set up her grandmother on dates, which include putting pictures of her up on Match.com. But it sounds like she might not need that much help, as Chastain recalled having a party at her house where her grandmother, who is “at the age where she just really doesn’t care,” just straight up walked over to Bradley Cooper and “sat on his lap.” They had never even met prior to this, and Cooper, who didn’t know who she was, was “horrified,” Chastain explained. “I saw it kind of happening in slow motion, where it was like, ‘No!‘” she said. “And I just started going, ‘It’s my grandma, it’s my grandma, it’s my grandma, it’s my grandma!’ And then he was like, ‘Okay, okay, hi grandma!’”  E! ONLINE 

David Arquette is in a ‘clown period’ of his life David Arquette is in his clown era. The Scream star told Live with Kelly and Ryan he’s currently studying to be a clown, noting, “I love clowns. I’ve sort of been in a clown period of my life.” Arquette explained he’s been working with an organization called Healthy Humor, which travels to hospitals to “bring some joy and love and laughter” to patients. Kelly Ripa praised Arquette for his efforts, suggesting that even though “a lot of people have very strong opinions about clowns,” it’s “one of those unsung art forms that’s a lot more work than people realize.” After the interview aired, though, Arquette took to Twitter to offer a correction, saying he accidentally plugged the wrong website for Healthy Humor. “Sorry,” he tweeted, “I’m a clown.” PEOPLE 

A nationwide state of emergency is declared in Kazakhstan. (Sky News) 

Eight police officers are killed and 317 others injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. No figures on civilian casualties have been released. (Reuters) 

The presidential residence and offices of Äkim of Almaty Bakhytzhan Sagintayev are set on fire by protesters. (AP) 

The government of Kazakhstan resigns following the protests, with Alihan Smaiylov becoming acting Prime Minister. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also announces the reintroduction of the price cap on liquefied petroleum gas. (Deutsche Welle) 

A nationwide state of emergency is declared in Kazakhstan. (Sky News) 

President Tokayev dismisses former president and Security Council of Kazakhstan Chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev. Protesters also seize control of Almaty International Airport with all flights to and from the airport being cancelled. (Reuters) 

President Tokayev requests military assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, saying that “terrorist gangs are overrunning strategic facilities across the country.” (Trend) 

It is announced that the upcoming Golden Globe Awards will be held without a live audience or celebrities due to COVID-19 concerns. (Vanity Fair) 

The Grammy Awards is postponed amidst concerns of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC) 

Twelve people are killed and two others are injured in a fire at a row house converted into apartments in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (ABC News) 

Fourteen people are killed and three others are injured by a landslide at a construction site in Bijie, Guizhou, China. (Al Jazeera) 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his First Lady Michal Herzog receive their fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Israel launched the second booster dose vaccination campaign. (I24 News) 

Israel reports a record 11,978 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,423,289. (Al-Arabiya English) 

South Korea signs an agreement to buy an additional 400,000 doses of Pfizer‘s Paxlovid COVID-19 drug. (CNA) 

Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 189,109 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,566,947. (ANSA) 

The Draghi Cabinet signs a decree that makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people over the age of 50 years and also mandates that public and private sector workers of this age group need to show proof of vaccination or recovery or face fines of between €600 and €1,500 beginning on February 15. (The Guardian) 

Argentina confirms their first locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. In response, the government implements self-testing in order to avoid queues at testing centers. (Página/12) 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorses the use of booster shots of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12. (CNN) 

Chicago Public Schools announces that public schools in Chicago, Illinois, will cancel in-person classes amidst a rise in cases of COVID-19. (ABC News) 

The Lithuanian government announces that it will not extend the state of emergency at the border with Belarus. (Reuters) 

The End Saturday 

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev fires former president and Security Council of Kazakhstan Chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev as the worst civil disorder in decades continues to hit the country. Protesters seize control of Almaty International Airport with all flights to and from the airport being cancelled. (Reuters) 

Fourteen people are killed and three more injured by a landslide at a construction site in Guizhou, China. (Al Jazeera) 

Thirteen people are killed and several others injured in a fire in a row house converted into apartments in Fairmount, Pennsylvania, United States. (ABC News) 

Israel reports a records 11,978 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 11,344 cases in September last year. It brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,423,289. (Al-Arabiya English) 

South Korea signs an agreement to buy additional COVID-19 pill Paxlovid made by Pfizer to cover 400,000 people. (CNA) 

The Netherlands reports a record 24,590 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set on November 24. (NL Times) 

The Lithuania government announces that it will not extend the state of emergency at the border with Belarus. (Reuters) 

Toyota surpasses GM as top-selling automaker in U.S. Toyota said Tuesday it sold 2.3 million vehicles in the United States in 2021, surpassing General Motors by about 114,000 and becoming the top-selling automaker in the U.S. for the first time, measured by annual sales. Toyota’s total for the year marked a 10 percent increase over 2020, despite a computer-chip shortage that has disrupted production for car makers around the world. The Japanese company benefited from a decision to stockpile chips needed to power its vehicle electronics. GM’s total for the year fell by nearly 13 percent to 2.2 million. GM had led U.S. auto sales since 1931. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Record 4.5 million workers quit jobs in November A record number of U.S. workers quit their jobs in November, according to federal data released Tuesday. More than 4.5 million people voluntarily walked away from their positions in the month, up from 4.2 million in October, the Labor Department said. November’s figure was the highest since the government started tracking the figure two decades ago. Hiring edged down in December, according to data tracked by business payroll managers Homebase and UKG, suggesting that the COVID-19 surge driven by the fast spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant was squeezing the labor supply. Both firms recorded larger seasonal dips than last year. Homebase found a 15 percent drop at small businesses in the last days of 2021, up from a 10 percent drop in 2020. REUTERS 

Cal Fire says PG&E power lines started huge Dixie Fire The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday that last year’s Dixie Fire, the second-largest wildfire ever recorded in the state, started when PG&E power lines came into contact with a tree. Cal Fire has investigated the Dixie Fire, which started on July 13 in Butte County, for months. The fire burned 963,309 acres and destroyed 1,329 structures in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama counties. PG&E acknowledged last year that its equipment might have been involved in starting the Dixie Fire. On Tuesday, the power company noted that it had said in July that “a large tree struck one of our normally operating lines.” PG&E plans to bury 10,000 miles of power lines over 10 years in areas at high risk for wildfires. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE 

Walmart expands InHome delivery service in bet on convenience Walmart announced Wednesday that it was expanding availability of its InHome delivery service from six million to 30 million households. The service involves Walmart employees wearing cameras who enter customers’ homes using a smart lock, then drop off groceries or other purchases, and pick up returns. Delivery workers put items into the refrigerator or onto a counter, according to customer requests. If the customers are not home, they can view the delivery live or recorded through the Walmart App. The expansion of the $19.95-a-month service in cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago marks the latest corporate bet on consumers’ desire for convenience as the coronavirus pandemic continues. CNBC 

Biden repeats plea for vaccinations, boosters as COVID cases soar President Biden on Tuesday repeated his call for more Americans to get vaccinated and boosted, and to wear masks to increase protection against COVID-19, as the fast-spreading Omicron variant drives soaring coronavirus infections. “We have the tools to protect people from severe illness due to Omicron — if people choose to use the tools,” Biden said before meeting with the White House COVID-19 response team. “There’s a lot of reason to be hopeful in [2022], but for God’s sake, please take advantage of what’s available.” The comments came after the U.S. reported a million new cases in a single day, a figure probably inflated by holiday backlogs but still far beyond the previous record of 591,000 set on Thursday. The surge is overwhelming many hospitals. USA TODAY 

Chicago schools close after teachers force return to remote instruction Chicago Public Schools canceled Wednesday classes after the Chicago Teachers Union voted late Tuesday not to show up for in-person work out of concerns that COVID-19 protections against the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant were insufficient. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, and public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said at a news conference that children need to be back in the classroom, and they insisted that schools were safe with proper mitigation. Seventy-three percent of the teachers union’s members supported the proposal to force instruction online just two days after the return from holiday break. The union set a Jan. 18 target date for reopening schools. CHICAGO TRIBUNE 

Trump cancels Jan. 6 press conference Former President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was canceling a press conference he had scheduled for Thursday, the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters aiming to prevent lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s election victory. Trump had planned to deliver a speech about the election and his false claims of voter fraud, allegations that fueled the Capitol attack. Trump said in a statement he will instead talk about the matter during a Jan. 15 rally in Arizona. Four rioters died during the assault on the Capitol, and the next day, a police officer who was at the scene also died. Four other law enforcement officers who responded to the Capitol riot later died by suicide. REUTERS 

Poll: Majority in U.S. believe democracy in peril Most Americans believe U.S. democracy is in danger ahead of the one-year anniversary of the deadly attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Tuesday. More than 80 percent of Republicans, Democrats, and independents said they feared for the future of America’s democracy. Eighty-five percent of Democrats said the rioters were “criminals”; two-thirds of Republicans said the mob “went too far, but they had a point.” Fifty-eight percent of Republicans said President Biden wasn’t legitimately elected, despite numerous investigations disproving Trump’s allegations of voter fraud. Only about 4 in 10 Republicans remember the attack as very or extremely violent, according to a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. USA TODAY 

D.A. says Cuomo won’t be prosecuted over groping allegation The Albany County, New York, District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo won’t be prosecuted on criminal charges over allegations that he groped former aide Brittany Commisso in the Executive Mansion two years ago. David Soares, the Albany County district attorney, said that despite the decision, he was “deeply troubled by allegations” like those in this case. “While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible,” Soares said, “after review of all the available evidence we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial.” Prosecutors in Westchester and Nassau counties also recently said they wouldn’t pursue charges over separate sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo, who resigned in August. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

I-95 reopens after snowstorm leaves motorists stranded for 24 hours Interstate 95 reopened in Northern Virginia late Tuesday after hundreds of motorists were stranded south of Washington, D.C. — many of them for more than 24 hours — after heavy snow, ice, and accidents, including jackknifed tractor-trailers, paralyzed traffic on the highway. Motorists stayed in their cars overnight Monday and much of Tuesday in sub-freezing temperatures, many without food or water. Some posted messages on social media describing their plight as they ran low on fuel to run their heaters. Many lashed out at state officials for what they saw as a weak effort to help stranded motorists. “Not one police [officer] came in the 16 hours we were stuck,” said Meera Rao, who got stuck with her husband, Raghavendra, returning from visiting their daughter in North Carolina. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Prince Andrew’s attorney calls for dropping lawsuit against him by Epstein accuser Prince Andrew’s lawyer on Tuesday asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre because of her newly unsealed 2009 deal with the late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, argued that Giuffre’s settlement with Epstein shielded the prince from lawsuits over any sexual abuse connected to Epstein. Giuffre has said Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was underaged. The Duke of York was not mentioned in the settlement, but Brettler said the prince was protected as an “Other Potential Defendant.” Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied molesting Giuffre. CNN 

Toyota surpasses GM as top-selling automaker in U.S. Toyota said Tuesday it sold 2.3 million vehicles in the United States in 2021, surpassing General Motors by about 114,000 and becoming the top-selling automaker in the U.S. for the first time, measured by annual sales. Toyota’s total for the year marked a 10 percent increase over 2020, despite a computer-chip shortage that has disrupted production for car makers around the world. The Japanese company benefited from a decision to stockpile chips needed to power its vehicle electronics. GM’s total for the year fell by nearly 13 percent to 2.2 million. GM had led U.S. auto sales since 1931. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Record 4.5 million workers quit jobs in November A record number of U.S. workers quit their jobs in November, according to federal data released Tuesday. More than 4.5 million people voluntarily walked away from their positions in the month, up from 4.2 million in October, the Labor Department said. November’s figure was the highest since the government started tracking the figure two decades ago. Hiring edged down in December, according to data tracked by business payroll managers Homebase and UKG, suggesting that the COVID-19 surge driven by the fast spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant was squeezing the labor supply. Both firms recorded larger seasonal dips than last year. Homebase found a 15 percent drop at small businesses in the last days of 2021, up from a 10 percent drop in 2020. REUTERS 

Tristan Thompson apologizes to Khloé Kardashian after having a baby with another woman Yep, Tristan, you are the father. NBA star Tristan Thompson has apologized to Khloé Kardashian after he said a paternity test confirmed he fathered a baby with another woman, Maralee Nichols. “I take full responsibility for my actions,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. Thompson and Kardashian have a 3-year-old daughter together, and they broke up again in June after allegations he cheated on her with model Sydney Chase. Nichols alleged she and Thompson had an affair over five months but that she didn’t realize he was in a relationship with Kardashian at the time, and she filed a lawsuit against him seeking child support. Thompson, who previously denied he was the father, apologized “to everyone I’ve hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal.” He also told Kardashian, whom he previously cheated on while she was pregnant, “You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you.”  

PAGE SIX 

Gal Gadot admits her star-studded ‘Imagine’ video ‘was in poor taste’ Imagine thinking a bunch of celebrities singing John Lennon is what the world wanted to see as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Yet Gal Gadot released such a video in March 2020 to widespread mockery, and she reflected on the backlash in a new conversation with InStyle. “[The video] was premature,” Gadot said. “It wasn’t the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing. It was in poor taste.” The Wonder Woman star began her infamous Instagram video by saying “we’re all in this together” amid the pandemic before a cavalcade of celebrities sang “Imagine,” though it was almost universally panned as being completely out of touch and cringe-worthy. “All pure intentions,” Gadot told InStyle, “but sometimes you don’t hit the bull’s-eye, right?” Well yeah, anyone who watched Wonder Woman 1984 could tell you that.  PEOPLE 

‘Morbius’ has been delayed for the umpteenth time Does Morbius actually exist? We’ll have to wait even longer to find out now, as Sony has delayed the film yet again, this time from the end of January until April 1. Starring Jared Leto as the titular vampire from the Marvel comics, Morbius is the latest in Sony’s series of Spider-Man films without Spider-Man, and it has faced repeated delays from its original summer 2020 release date. The trailer for Morbius came out in January 2020 — and to put that in perspective, ComicBook.com‘s Adam Barnhardt pointed out Spider-Man: No Way Home was filmed and released in the time since that footage came out. This latest delay was seemingly related to surging Omicron cases, though that hasn’t stopped No Way Home from becoming one of the biggest movies of all time. Don’t be surprised if Tom Holland squeezes in one or two more Spider-Man movies before Morbius actually comes out.  VARIETY 

CNN isn’t booting Andy Cohen for his drunk New Year’s Eve slams Who among us hasn’t gotten wasted on New Year’s Eve and ranted about Bill de Blasio and Ryan Seacrest? While hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, Watch What Happens Live‘s Andy Cohen ranted against outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), calling him a “horrible mayor.” He also disparaged the competing ABC broadcast by mocking Ryan Seacrest’s “group of losers that are performing behind us.” This led Radar Online to claim Cohen wouldn’t be invited back next year, but CNN is now denying that. Cohen “said something he shouldn’t have on live TV,” CNN said, but “we’ve addressed it with him and look forward to having him back again next year.” Cohen expressed regret for the Seacrest comment, saying he “felt bad about” it and was just being “stupid and drunk,” though he didn’t take back his de Blasio slams. How long before Cohen’s New Year’s Eve show just evolves into a Ricky Gervais-style roast?  LOS ANGELES TIMES 

*x*x* 

Tuesday,  January 4th, 2022 

*x*x* 

A blast hit a vehicle for the Sodicars Racing team as it left a hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two days prior to the Dakar Rally, critically wounding French driver Philippe Boutron, who is in a medically-induced coma. (BBC News) 

Rio de Janeiro cancels the 2022 edition of its world-famous carnival street parade, which was scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 1, amid the surging COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Radio France Internationale) 

The Cyberspace Administration of China announces that, beginning on February 15, all companies with at least one million users will be required to undergo cybersecurity reviews before they can be listed on foreign stock exchanges. Companies that are deemed to have an impact on national security will be barred from being listed. (Al Jazeera) 

China orders 1.1 million people in Yuzhou, Henan to stay at home after three asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported. (BBC News) 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that the “vaccine bubble” will be expanded to restaurants, leisure venues and schools beginning on February 24, which will require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination of at least one dose in order to enter those venues. (Reuters) 

The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff says that North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile ballistic missile. No confirmation has been given. (BBC News) 

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposes a two-week state of emergency in Almaty, the country’s largest city, and in Mangystau District due to violent protests that have been occurring in the region over an increase in the price of gasoline. (The Guardian) 

The End Wednesday 

Australia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 47,738 new cases of COVID-19 surpassing 500,000 cases. (9 News) (SBS News) 

Greece reports a record 50,126 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,344,923. (Ekathimerini) 

Sweden reports a record 11,507 new cases of COVID-19 on December 30 due to delayed records of additional cases in the previous days, surpassing the previous of 11,376 new cases set in December 2020. (The Local Sweden) 

The United Kingdom reports a record 218,724 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which including backlog data from Northern Ireland for four days and Wales for two days. (The Independent) 

A series of small roadblocks and fires are set up by protesters in the municipality of Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe. (France info) 

Elizabeth Holmes convicted on 4 fraud chargesA California jury on Monday found Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed blood-testing start-up Theranos, guilty of defrauding investors by lying about the success of the company’s devices. The jury found Holmes guilty of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with each count punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Jurors found Holmes not guilty on four other counts related to duping patients who received inaccurate results. The jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on three other investor fraud counts. Holmes, once a rising Silicon Valley superstar, had testified that Theranos experts had assured her the tests worked, and she accused her ex-boyfriend and former deputy at Theranos, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, of sexually abusing and manipulating her. NPRTHE NEW YORK TIMES 

Apple becomes 1st company worth $3 trillion  Apple shares edged up on Monday, lifting the iPhone maker’s value to briefly reach $3 trillion, making it the first publicly traded company in history to reach the milestone. Apple is now worth more than Walmart, Disney, Netflix, Nike, Exxon Mobil, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Morgan Stanley, McDonald’s, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, IBM, and Ford, combined. Apple was launched out of a California garage in 1976. The computer and electronic gadget maker became the first U.S. company ever to be worth $1 trillion in August 2018. It hit the $2 trillion mark two years later. “When we started, we thought it would be a successful company that would go forever. But you don’t really envision this,” said engineer Steve Wozniak, who founded Apple with Steve Jobs in 1976. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

White House pledges $1 billion boost for independent meat producers The White House announced Monday that it plans to devote $1 billion to help small, independent meat producers compete with the four dominant meat suppliers the Biden administration has accused of driving up prices. The White House has noted that an analysis found that large meatpackers’ profits have increased by 300 percent during the pandemic, while meat prices have spiked. Beef was up by 21 percent in November over a year earlier. The moves announced Monday include $375 million in grants to help independent meat producers, along with $275 million in capital and $100 million for the training of meat and poultry workers. “Capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism. It’s exploitation,” President Biden said at a White House event to discuss meat and poultry supply chain problems. CNNTHE WASHINGTON POST 

AT&T, Verizon agree to 2-week 5G rollout delay AT&T and Verizon on Monday said they would delay rolling out new 5G wireless service for two weeks after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asked them to slow down because the new technology could interfere with cockpit safety systems on planes. Both wireless carriers had said a day earlier they would not postpone the new 5G service. AT&T on Monday night repeated a promise to lower its networks’ power around airports, saying, “We know aviation safety and 5G can co-exist.” Airlines last week filed an emergency petition with the Federal Communications Commission to stop 5G deployment near 135 airports, warning the technology could cause widespread disruption of passenger and cargo flights, including delays and cancellations. NBC NEWSTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

U.S. new COVID cases hit single-day record of over 1 million New coronavirus infections jumped to a record of 1,082,549 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The surge has come as the highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant continues to tear across the country. More than 103,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, the most since the late summer surge, according to The Washington Post. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have risen by 27 percent in the past week as the daily average of new cases more than doubled, but deaths declined by 8 percent. The total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. has now reached 56,189,547, with 827,748 U.S. deaths. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to meet with the White House coronavirus response team on Tuesday to discuss steps to counter the Omicron spike. USA TODAYTHE WASHINGTON POST 

N.Y. attorney general subpoenas Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ office has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump under an investigation into the business practices of their father, former President Donald Trump, according to a court document filed Monday. The inquiry focuses on whether Trump inflated the value of his properties to get better loans, and underestimated them to lower tax bills. Lawyers for the Trump Organization and Trump’s children are trying to block lawyers in James’ office from questioning Trump or his children. The subpoenas for Trump, Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump were issued on Dec. 1. James’ office questioned Eric Trump, another son of the former president, in October 2020. Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump became involved in the family business shortly after college. ABC NEWS 

Schumer: Senate will vote on filibuster change if GOP blocks voting rights bill Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the Senate would vote by Jan. 17 on changing the chamber’s filibuster rule if Republicans continue to use it to block voting rights legislation. Democrats have been pushing federal legislation to protect voting rights as Republicans in GOP-led state legislatures enact new voting restrictions. Republicans say the laws are necessary to prevent vote fraud, and they accuse Democrats in Washington of trying to overstep their authority. But Schumer said passing federal measures to protect voting rights is necessary to “protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections.” THE HILL 

FDA authorizes Pfizer booster for children ages 12 to 15 The Food and Drug Administration on Monday signed off on giving Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots to children ages 12 to 15. The agency also said people would be eligible for the third Pfizer dose five months after getting the second shot, shortening the minimum wait time for a booster by one month. The moves came as part of an accelerating effort to increase protection for Americans as the new Omicron coronavirus variant spreads fast and pushes daily infections to the highest levels since the pandemic began just as students return to schools after the holiday break. Making more people eligible for boosters “is critical to help us ultimately defeat this pandemic,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consider approving the change this week. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Schools face ‘chaos’ as classes resume during Omicron surge Many school systems around the country reopened on schedule Monday after the holiday break despite the COVID-19 surge driven by the quick spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. Leaders in many of those districts stressed the importance of in-person classes and the need to avoid the learning deficits and emotional problems students experienced last year during remote learning. Some districts — including Newark, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Cleveland — temporarily shifted to remote learning despite those concerns, affecting more than 450,000 students. Many schools also struggled with staff shortages made worse by a record spike in COVID-19 cases nationwide. Some districts delayed reopening to allow for students and staff to get coronavirus tests. “It’s chaos,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Epstein settlement unsealed in lawsuit against Prince Andrew  The 2009 settlement between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Roberts Giuffre was unsealed Monday as part of Giuffre’s lawsuit against Prince Andrew. The settlement stipulated that Giuffre, who accused Epstein of trafficking her and forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew and others while she was still a minor, agreed to drop her case against Epstein and any other “potential defendant[s]” in exchange for $500,000. A Florida court convicted Epstein of sex crimes in 2008, and he died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. On Dec. 29, Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of procuring underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. The document was unsealed as part of Giuffre’s lawsuit against the U.K.’s Prince Andrew, who was not mentioned in the settlement deal. CNN 

Flight cancellations continue due to snowstorms and staff crunch Airlines canceled another 3,000-plus flights within, to, and from the United States on Monday, as snowstorms and staff shortages blamed on the Omicron coronavirus variant surge continued to disrupt travel. More than 15,000 flights were canceled between Christmas Eve and the start of the first work week of 2022. Washington, D.C., was hit by a severe snowstorm that started early Monday, and forced the Federal Aviation Administration to order a ground stop for Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports. More than half of the flights that had been scheduled to leave National were canceled by mid-day. Nearly a third of BWI’s flights were scrapped, as were about 19 percent of those that had been scheduled to depart Dulles International Airport. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Apple becomes 1st company worth $3 trillion  Apple shares edged up on Monday, lifting the iPhone maker’s value to touch $3 trillion, making it the first publicly traded company in history to reach the milestone. Apple is now worth more than Walmart, Disney, Netflix, Nike, Exxon Mobil, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Morgan Stanley, McDonald’s, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, IBM, and Ford, combined. Apple was launched out of a California garage in 1976. The computer and electronic gadget maker became the first U.S. company ever to be worth $1 trillion in August 2018. It hit the $2 trillion mark two years later. “When we started, we thought it would be a successful company that would go forever. But you don’t really envision this,” said engineer Steve Wozniak, who founded Apple with Steve Jobs in 1976. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Elizabeth Holmes convicted on 4 fraud charges A California jury on Monday found Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed blood-testing start-up Theranos, guilty of defrauding investors by lying about the success of the company’s devices. The jury found Holmes guilty of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with each count punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Jurors found Holmes not guilty on four other counts related to duping patients who received inaccurate results. The jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on three other investor fraud counts. Holmes, once a rising Silicon Valley superstar, had testified that Theranos experts had assured her the tests worked, and she accused her ex-boyfriend and former deputy at Theranos, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, of sexually abusing and manipulating her. NPR 

Judge blocks Navy from punishing SEALS for declining vaccine A federal judge in Texas on Monday ruled that the Defense Department can’t punish Navy SEALs who refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a preliminary order blocking the Navy from taking any action against 35 members of the Navy special forces teams over their attempts to get a religious exemption from the vaccine requirement. Under the Navy’s vaccine policy, religious objectors can be considered non-deployable or disqualified from Special Operations. “The Navy servicemembers in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect,” O’Connor wrote in his order. “The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment.” CNN 

Monday,  January 3rd, 2022 

Clashes between the revolutionary far-left armed groups ELN and FARC dissidents in Arauca Department leave 23 people dead near Colombia’s border with Venezuela. (Al Jazeera) 

Five soldiers are killed and 20 more are injured during an Islamic State rocket attack on a military transport bus in the Syrian Desert. (Al Jazeera) 

Houthi forces capture a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo ship, the Rwabee, off Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The UAE government says that the vessel was carrying equipment from a closed coalition field hospital on Socotra while the Houthis say that the vessel was carrying military equipment. (MSN) 

Chinese property developer Evergrande Group suspends trading of its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ahead of a planned restructuring of the firm. (BBC News) 

South Korea reports its first confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people in their 90s who died last week at a senior care hospital in Gwangju. (Yonhap News Agency) 

The Belgian government finalizes an agreement to buy 20,000 courses of Pfizer‘s Paxlovid COVID-19 drug and Merck & Co.‘s Molnupiravir COVID-19 drug. (The Brussels Times) 

France begins to require children over the age of 6 years to wear masks while indoors and also reduces the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people to seven days and five days if a person has received a negative PCR or antigen test due to a record number of COVID-19 cases driven by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Hill) (Politico.eu) 

The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years, becoming the world’s first vaccine to be authorized as a booster shot for this age group. (ABC News) 

The website of Israel‘s Jerusalem Post newspaper is hacked by suspected Iranian hackers. The website’s content was replaced with a threat targeting the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center and an apparent reference to Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated exactly two years earlier in Baghdad, Iraq. (Reuters) 

Twitter permanently suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account Twitter said Sunday it had permanently suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s personal account for violations of its policies against spreading misinformation about COVID-19. The ban came after Greene made her latest false tweet about the pandemic on Saturday, saying there had been “extremely high amounts of COVID vaccine deaths.” Twitter called the post Greene’s fifth “strike,” meaning that under its rules her account now can’t be restored. She got her fourth strike in August for falsely claiming on the site that vaccines were “failing.” Less than a month earlier, she received her third strike for tweeting that COVID-19 was not dangerous. Greene posted on the conservative social media platform Telegram that Twitter “is an enemy of America and can’t handle the truth.” THE NEW YORK TIMESREUTERS 

Tesla says deliveries rose by 87 percent in 2021 Tesla delivered 87 percent more cars in 2021 than it did the year before, reaching a total of 936,000 cars with a boost from a single-quarter record of 308,600 electric vehicles in the fourth quarter. Industry analysts had expected the company to ship out just 855,000 vehicles for the year. Most of the deliveries were Tesla Model 3 sedans and Model Y hatchbacks. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in July that the electric-car maker was working to get around a global computer-chip shortage that was hampering production for other auto manufacturers by switching to more readily available types of chips. “The numbers are hard to poke holes in,” Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in a note to investors. “Tesla continues to dominate market share.” CNBCTHE NEW YORK TIMES 

Airlines have canceled more than 15,000 flights since Christmas Eve Airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights into, out of, or within the United States on Sunday, bringing the total number of canceled U.S. flights since Christmas Eve to more than 15,000, USA Today reported Sunday. Staffing shortages have plagued airlines as the Omicron coronavirus strain infects some employees and leaves others afraid to go to work. According to BBC, even the offer of increased pay has been ineffective at luring flight crews back. On New Year’s Day, almost 4,400 flights were canceled worldwide, The Washington Post reports. More than 2,600 of those were flights for which the U.S. was either the origin, the destination, or both. USA TODAY 

 
Jan. 6 panel members say they know what Trump was doing during riot Members of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack said Sunday that they had received testimony and documents providing an increasingly clear picture of what then-President Donald Trump said and did in the White House during the insurrection by a mob of his supporters. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the panel’s Republican vice chair, told ABC News that according to “firsthand testimony,” Trump’s daughter and then-senior adviser Ivanka Trump went to see her father as he watched television coverage of the riot in the dining room next to the Oval Office “at least twice to ask him to ‘please stop this violence.’” Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told CNN that “it’s highly unusual for anyone in charge of anything to watch what’s going on and do nothing.” CNN 

Twitter permanently suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account Twitter said Sunday it had permanently suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s personal account for violations of its policies against spreading misinformation on COVID-19. The ban came after Greene made her latest false tweet about the pandemic on Saturday, saying there had been “extremely high amounts of COVID vaccine deaths.” Twitter called the post Greene’s fifth “strike,” meaning that under its rules her account now can’t be restored. She got her fourth strike in August for falsely claiming on the site that vaccines were “failing.” Less than a month earlier, she received her third strike for tweeting that COVID-19 was not dangerous. Greene posted on the social media platform Telegram that Twitter “is an enemy of America and can’t handle the truth.” THE NEW YORK TIMESREUTERS 

Schools return after holidays as Omicron fuels coronavirus surge U.S. K-12 schools begin reopening after the holiday break on Monday as COVID-19 cases soar, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant. Many school districts are scrambling to acquire enough COVID-19 tests so they will be able to impose “test-to-stay” strategies that will allow them to keep open rather than returning to remote classes, which can result in learning deficits. “The science is clear. Schools need to be open,” then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said last week. Some school districts, including Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, are extending winter break by two days to allow time to test staff and students. Chicago is urging parents to give their children rapid tests before sending them back. Some universities are starting the year with remote classes. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

CDC considers testing after isolation for asymptomatic COVID cases  Biden administration health officials are considering adding a negative COVID-19 test to the recommended five-day isolation restrictions for asymptomatic people who test positive for the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, said Sunday. Fauci said the potential change came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got significant “pushback” for announcing last week that it was shortening its recommended isolation time from 10 days to five, provided the patient has no symptoms. The new recommendations include five subsequent days of mask-wearing after the isolation ends. Many health professionals objected to the change, saying that a negative antigen test should be a requirement for ending quarantine after an infection. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

South Africa police arrest suspect in Parliament fire Police in South Africa’s capital, Cape Town, said Sunday that they had arrested a suspect believed responsible for a fire that damaged the Houses of Parliament. The man is expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of arson, housebreaking, and theft, a police spokesperson said. Investigators believe the fire started in offices on the third floor of the complex, and spread quickly to the lower house, the National Assembly. The fire occurred a day after Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s state funeral at nearby St. George’s Cathedral. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the “terrible and devastating” blaze marked a “terrible setback to what we were basking in yesterday” when the nation focused on remembering and honoring Tutu. BBC NEWS 

Airlines have canceled more than 15,000 flights since Christmas Eve Airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights into, out of, or within the United States on Sunday, bringing the total number of canceled U.S. flights since Christmas Eve to more than 15,000, USA Today reported Sunday. Staffing shortages have plagued airlines as the Omicron coronavirus strain infects some employees and leaves others afraid to go to work. According to BBC, even the offer of increased pay has been ineffective at luring flight crews back. On New Year’s Day, almost 4,400 flights were canceled worldwide, The Washington Post reports. More than 2,600 of those were flights for which the U.S. was either the origin, the destination, or both. USA TODAY 

Sudan prime minister resigns after power-sharing talks go nowhere Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was deposed by the military in an October coup then reinstated in November under international pressure, resigned in a televised statement Sunday. The Oct. 25 coup derailed a tenuous power-sharing agreement between the military and pro-democracy civilian groups that helped unseat longtime ruler Omar al-Bashar in 2019. In his resignation announcement, Hamdok said he had been unable to bridge the divides between the ruling military council and the pro-democracy movement in weeks of negotiations on forming a new government. “I tried as much as I possibly could to prevent our country from sliding into a disaster,” he said. “Now, our nation is going through a dangerous turning point that could threaten its survival unless it is urgently rectified.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Defense secretary tests positive for COVID-19 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday that he had tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Austin said he was fully vaccinated and received a booster shot in October, which he said was probably why he was only experiencing mild symptoms. Austin said he would “retain all authorities,” but isolate himself by attending all necessary meetings virtually for at least five days under new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Austin got tested after he began experiencing symptoms while at home on holiday leave. He said his last meeting with President Biden was on Dec. 21, more than a week before he started feeling sick, suggesting he would not have exposed Biden to possible infection. NBC NEWS 

Sunday, January 2nd, 2022 

The rebel-held city of Idlib loses its supply of water after Russian Air Force jets bombed a nearby water station. Airstrikes have increased in the past 24 hours with attacks also reported on farms near the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, and on IDP camps near Jisr al-Shughur which killed three people. (Reuters) 

Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports that the Mossad was responsible for three bombings of German and Swiss firms in 1981 in order to try to halt Iranian and Pakistani development of nuclear weapons. (Jerusalem Post) 

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan, China, injuring 22 people. (Al Jazeera) 

A fire breaks out in the South African parliament building in Cape Town, destroying its roof and the wing housing the National Council of Provinces. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident. (France 24) 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (Politico) 

A South Korean citizen crosses the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone in a rare case of defection to North Korea from the South. (BBC News) 

An Azerbaijani State Border Service guard kills three fellow servicemen at his post and escapes. A manhunt is underway. (Trend) 

Interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigns in response to security forces killing three anti-coup protestors in Omdurman earlier that day. (CNN) 

Twitter announces that they have permanently suspended U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for allegedly violating the company’s policies about COVID-19 misinformation. (The New York Times) 

End Saturday The 8th