Wednesday, January 19th, 2022 

Rachel Zegler apologizes for dramatic reading of Britney Spears tweet Oops! Rachel Zegler has issued an apology for doing a dramatic reading of one of Britney Spears’ recent statements. The West Side Story star drew backlash after performing the singer’s tweet blasting her sister Jamie Lynn amid their ongoing feud, which included a denial of the claim that she once locked them in a room with a knife. While thanking “all who held me accountable,” Zegler said she’s “rooting for [Britney] always” and that “while I meant no disrespect whatsoever, I should have thought about how this could be perceived, and I’m so sorry for upsetting or disappointing anyone.” She added, “This is not a situation to be taken lightly, and we should all be lifting Britney up in this pivotal time.” It looks like one West Side Story star probably had a better holiday weekend than the other. PEOPLE 

Hong Kong orders the culling of 2,000 small animals, such as hamsters, chinchillas and rabbits, closes pet shops, and sends 100 people to a quarantine camp after nearly a dozen hamsters imported from the Netherlands and sold at Little Boss pet shop were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant which also spread to two people. (Bloomberg) 

China reports economy slowed down in late 2021 Chinese officials announced Monday that the country’s economy expanded by just 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021, the slowest pace since the start of the COVID-19 recovery in the second quarter of 2020. Beijing is trying to contain any further economic damage by dialing back some of its efforts to tighten monetary policy. China’s central bank said Monday it would cut two key interest rates, potentially setting the stage for further cuts. “More stimulus measures [are] likely to be unveiled if domestic and external circumstances remain unfavorable,” said Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy and economics at Cornell University and a former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

China’s birthrate falls to record low China announced Monday that its birthrate fell for the fifth straight year in 2021, hitting a record low. The decline is pushing China, the world’s most populous country, toward the potentially disastrous point where its population will start to shrink. Life expectancy is increasing, leaving the country with fewer people of working age relative to those too old to work. The changes could create labor shortages and slower economic growth that would make it harder to support an aging population. China’s ruling Communist Party has tried to raise the birthrate by relaxing its infamous “one child” policy, letting couples have two children starting in 2016 and up to three starting last year. “China is facing a demographic crisis,” said Yi Fuxian, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CNN 

AT&T, Verizon agree to limit 5G rollout near airports AT&T and Verizon on Tuesday agreed to limit their 5G network rollout near airports to address warnings from airlines that the high-speed wireless service would cause catastrophic disruptions to passenger and cargo flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said the changes should eliminate much of the feared interference with airplane safety technology. The White House helped broker the temporary fix. “This agreement protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption and will bring more high-speed internet options to millions of Americans,” Biden said in a statement. The new 5G systems use a wireless spectrum, the C-band, that is close to airwaves used by radio altimeters, which measure how high planes are flying and are crucial in low-visibility landings. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Blinken to push for Ukraine diplomacy in meeting with Russian counterpart  Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken plans to meet Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva to keep diplomatic efforts alive to prevent Moscow from invading Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday. A series of three negotiating sessions in Europe ended last week in a deadlock, primarily due to Russia’s demand for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to pledge not to expand in Eastern Europe. The United States and Western Europe flatly rejected that condition. The White House said Blinken would urge Russia to “de-escalate.” “We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point want an attack in Ukraine,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki, and Secretary Blinken will “highlight very clearly there is a diplomatic path forward.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Kyiv, Ukraine, in a show of support for Ukraine. During a one-day visit, Blinken will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said yesterday that “Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine,” and “No option is off the table.” Blinken’s next stop in Europe will be Berlin, Germany, this Thursday. (France 24) 

Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas warns that the presence of Russian troops in Belarus poses a “direct threat” to the country. (Politico.eu) 

New York AG pushes for Trump testimony, citing pattern of fraud New York Attorney General Letitia James filed court papers Tuesday accusing former President Donald Trump’s family business of “falsely and fraudulently” valuing properties to banks for economic benefit. James also sought to compel Trump and two of his children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, to give sworn testimony in her ongoing civil investigation of the Trump Organization’s financial dealings. James had subpoenaed Trump in December and Don Jr. and Ivanka earlier in January, and Tuesday’s motion was in opposition to the Trumps’ attempts to quash those subpoenas. James said her office had “uncovered significant evidence” of the phony valuations — including tripling the value of Trump’s own Trump Tower apartment. James said the Trumps must comply because nobody “can pick and choose if and how the law applies to them.” POLITICO 

Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack on Tuesday subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Boris Epshteyn, all of whom defended former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The Jan. 6 committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said in a statement the “four individuals we’ve subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former president about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes.” Giuliani, Ellis, and Powell claimed in a November 2020 news conference at Republican National Committee headquarters that Trump had been the victim of “centralized” voter fraud. Giuliani and Powell did not immediately comment on the subpoenas. NBC NEWS 

Biden administration launches website offering free COVID tests  The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched COVIDTests.gov, the website designed to help distribute free at-home coronavirus tests to American families. People can use a link on the site to access an order form allowing them to order four at-home tests per residential address. The United States Postal Service will deliver them. The program is part of President Biden’s push to make tests more widely available to help fight a COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the website was in “beta testing” and functioning with “limited capacity” before its official, full-scale launch Wednesday morning. CNN 

Senate starts debate on voting rights legislation The Democrat-controlled Senate began debating President Biden’s ambitious — and likely doomed — voter protections on Tuesday. Under current Senate rules, Democrats would need a supermajority of 60 votes to stop a GOP filibuster, but they don’t have them. All 50 Senate Republicans oppose the legislation. The Democrats would need every member of their caucus to change the chamber’s filibuster rules to advance the bill to a vote with a simple, 51-vote majority, but moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) both oppose any change to the filibuster rule. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that any attempt by Democrats to circumvent the filibuster to pass their voting-rights legislation will not be “cost-free,” even if it fails, ABC News reported. ABC NEWS 

1st images of Tonga volcano, tsunami damage show communities covered in ash The New Zealand Defense Force on Tuesday released the first images of Tonga since the South Pacific archipelago was hit by a tsunami triggered by the eruption of an undersea volcano. The aerial photos showed trees, homes, and fields in Tonga’s central Ha’apai islands coated in gray ash emitted from the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano, which erupted Saturday. Rescue operations continued through the day as authorities confirmed the first three deaths in Tonga from the disaster. Aid workers warned that the toll could rise much higher as communication is restored and search crews reach isolated areas. CNN 

Conservative Party MP Christian Wakeford defects to the opposition Labour Party saying Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s behaviour has been “disgraceful”. There are growing calls within the ruling Conservative Party for Johnson to resign amid public outrage over Partygate. (Reuters) 

Microsoft to acquire game-maker Activision Blizzard Microsoft announced Tuesday that it would acquire Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind hit games like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion. Microsoft said the acquisition would bolster the offerings on its Game Pass subscription service. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will continue in his role. The deal comes after Activision Blizzard was hit with a bombshell lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing last year, which alleged the company created a “breeding ground” for sexual harassment and discrimination” that “was akin to working in a frat house, which invariably involved male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion.” Activision Blizzard has denied the claims. THE VERGE 

Texas synagogue gunman had been investigated by British intelligence The British man identified as the gunman killed after holding four people hostage at a Texas synagogue for 11 hours over the weekend was investigated by British security services in 2020 as a potential Islamist terrorist threat, according to U.K. media reports Tuesday. Two U.S. officials briefed on the matter confirmed that the man, identified by the FBI as Malik Faisal Akram, was a “subject of interest” on the watch list of Britain’s MI5 security service. Akram, 44, was from England but arrived in the United States just before the New Year. Investigators are still trying to determine why he targeted the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during Saturday prayers. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Former Vogue editor André Leon Talley dies at 73 Trailblazing fashion journalist André Leon Talley, the former creative director of Vogue, died Tuesday. He was 73. Talley’s death after recent health struggles was confirmed by his friend Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, who described Talley as a “creative genius.” Talley was the first Black person to hold his position at Vogue, where he was the right-hand of editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. He advocated for diversity and encouraged designers to include more Black models on the runway. Known for his wit, over-the-top outfits, and height — he was 6-foot-6 — Talley served as a judge on America’s Next Top Model for four seasons and wrote two memoirs, 2003’s A.L.T.: A Memoir and 2020’s The Chiffon Trenches. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Daniel Radcliffe will play ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in a biopic Daniel Radcliffe is ready to get weird. The Harry Potter star will portray “Weird Al” Yankovic in a biopic about the famed parody musician, Roku has announced. In a cheeky press release, Roku promised WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will tell the story of Yankovic’s “torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.” Yankovic, who previously wrote and starred in UHF, will write the film. “I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film,” Yankovic said, joking, “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.” Following his lead role in the Harry Potter franchise, Radcliffe has starred in a number of more offbeat projects, including Swiss Army Man, the 2016 film about a farting corpse — and now, his love of all things weird is being taken to its natural conclusion. Time to brush up on the accordion! THE WEEK 

Paul Walter Hauser deletes Twitter account after raging about ‘New York Times’ Oscar picks Paul Walter Hauser is having a normal one. The Richard Jewell star has deleted his Twitter account after he completely melted down apparently in response to The New York Times‘ picks for what should win at the 2022 Oscars. The Times recently published an article in which critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott simply put forth the films they would nominate for awards. This seemed to really, really upset Hauser, who proclaimed that “these lists are psychotic,” and after he faced criticism, things escalated quickly as he wrote, “Twitter needs to go shut the f— up or come say it to my face in public and see how fun it is to wipe their a– with a broken arm.” After complaining that “actors like me get canceled over this kind” of thing, he ended up leaving Twitter entirely. File this one under “never tweet.”  THE DAILY BEAST 

Javier Bardem inadvertently made a Prince show start an hour late Javier Bardem has some ‘splainin to do to Prince fans. The Being the Ricardos star revealed on The Tonight Show he was once responsible for a Prince concert starting an hour late. Bardem recalled having dinner with Penelope Cruz and their friend before one of Prince’s concerts in London, and after eating and having a few drinks, “We were like, ‘nobody’s coming here to pick us up,’” Bardem said. Prince himself, who was apparently close with Cruz, then came by to ask if they were done, at which point he told them to go down to their seats at the concert and the show finally started. “We were like, ‘Oh my god!’” Bardem said. “‘They’ve been waiting an hour for us to finish the dinner!’” Years later, Bardem wanted those concertgoers to know, “I’m so sorry.”  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 

Dakota Johnson put fake hair in men’s jacket pockets If you ever attend a party with Dakota Johnson, look for some hair in your pocket the next day. Johnson sat down with her former Social Network star Andrew Garfield for Vanity Fair, and after Garfield recalled seeing her at a party after the Oscars, she noted that this was back when she used to have “pieces of [fake] hair in my hair to make it look full.” And at these parties, she said, “I’d probably get a little drunk and then just take them out and put them in people’s pockets, like men’s jacket pockets because they’re so annoying and I’d just find a place to put them.” Garfield floated the idea that this was an attempt to get these men in trouble with their girlfriends when they found mysterious hair in their pockets, but Johnson insisted it was just because men’s jacket pockets were “so available,” adding, “It would be like, ‘Can you hold this for me? I’ll get it later.’ And then I’d forget.” After Johnson previously revealed she lied about loving limes, though, it might be worth taking this hair anecdote with a grain of salt. VANITY FAIR 

Argentine minister of economy Martín Guzmán warns that the International Monetary Fund will “lose legitimacy” if it fails in negotiations with the country, with Guzmán citing his country’s growth of nearly 10 percent as an argument. (Ámbito) 

A federal judge signs a plan to restructure Puerto Rico’s economy, allowing it to start repaying debt to creditors and lifting it out of bankruptcy. (AP News) 

Germany reports a record 112,323 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Deutsche Welle) 

Japan reports a record 32,197 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Mainichi) 

France reports a record 464,769 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency) 

Brazil reports a record 137,102 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 23,211,894. (Reuters) 

Australia reports a record 77 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (SBS News) 

Merck & Co. and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics sign an agreement with UNICEF to distribute up to 3 million courses of their COVID-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir to 100 low and middle-income countries in the first half of the year. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) 

Goldman Sachs earnings fall short of expectations Goldman Sachs shares plunged by 7 percent on Tuesday after the investment bank posted fourth-quarter profit that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Earnings came in at $10.81 per share compared to the $11.76 that analysts surveyed by Refinitiv expected on average. Revenue rose by 8 percent and slightly exceeded estimates at $12.64 billion, but profit fell by 13 percent compared to a year earlier as operating expenses jumped by 23 percent due to increased pay for Wall Street workers after a year of strong performance, and higher litigation reserves. “Goldman Sachs’ disappointing Q4 earnings are a stark reminder that wage inflation is hitting the banking sector hard,” Octavio Marenzi, CEO of bank consultancy Opimas, told MSN in an emailed statement. “It is clear that employees are able to demand significantly higher pay.” MSN 

Tuesday,  January 18th, 2022 

China ends Winter Olympics ticket sales due to Omicron concerns China announced Monday that it was halting ticket sales for the Beijing Winter Olympics two days after the city’s first case of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant. China said last fall it was barring foreign spectators, but on Monday Beijing’s Winter Olympics Organizing Committee said it would not let domestic fans attend, either, “to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators.” The organizers said they would have an “adapted program” under which some groups of spectators will be allowed in the stands, suggesting that there will be a process to screen and quarantine people invited to watch in person. China has tried to isolate Beijing with a travel ban and other measures, partly to shield the Olympics from the pandemic. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Fauci: Too soon to say whether Omicron wave will be last pandemic surge Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, said Monday that it was too soon to tell whether the current COVID-19 wave caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant would be the last surge of the coronavirus pandemic. Omicron has quickly become the dominant strain of the virus, and it has driven a record increase in new cases. It has caused less-severe cases of COVID-19, fueling hopes that it could boost natural immunity and help bring the pandemic to an end. But Fauci said via videoconference at The Davos Agenda virtual event that it was still impossible to predict whether that would happen. “It is an open question whether it will be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for,” Fauci said. CNBC 

Airline CEOs warn 5G rollout could disrupt flights, commerce Top airline executives on Monday warned that a “catastrophic” aviation crisis could cause “the nation’s commerce” to “grind to a halt” Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon launch new 5G service. The chief executives of American, Delta, United, Southwest, and other airlines wrote in a letter to federal transportation and commerce officials that potential interference with sensitive aircraft instruments such as altimeters could render some widebody aircraft unusable, potentially stranding “tens of thousands of Americans overseas” and triggering “chaos” on domestic routes. “Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” the CEOs wrote in the letter. The Federal Aviation Administration has told the wireless carriers to reduce power to 5G transmitters near airports. REUTERS 

Europe EV sales surpass diesels for 1st time Europeans had more sales of electric cars than diesels in December, a first. EVs accounted for more than 20 percent of new cars sold in Europe and Britain during the month, according to data compiled by Matthias Schmidt, a Berlin analyst who tracks electric-vehicle sales. Diesel-car sales fell below 19 percent, down from more than 50 percent as recently as 2015. The figures underscored how quickly electric vehicles are pushing into the mainstream as diesels, once popular in the European Union, are falling out of favor. Incentives offered by governments struggling to fight climate change by reducing carbon emissions have helped, as has the increasing variety of electric vehicles that motorists have to choose from.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

France says no exception from vaccine-pass rule for Djokovic at French Open  The French Sports Ministry said Monday that it would not grant any exemptions from a new vaccine pass law that received final approval on Sunday. The statement suggested that Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, could be frozen out of the French Open in May. Djokovic, who is ranked No. 1 in the world and is chasing a record 21st Grand Slam title, was deported from Australia on Sunday, dashing his hope of winning the Australian Open. Djokovic had hoped to compete in the tournament but lost his court appeal to have the cancellation of his visa overturned. REUTERS 

Investigators identify person they believe betrayed Anne Frank’s family to Nazis More than 75 years after Anne Frank’s family was betrayed to the Nazis, a team of investigators say they have identified the person they think may have revealed the address of their hiding place in Amsterdam. The researchers said Arnold van den Bergh, a notary who served on the Jewish council the Nazis set up, might have provided information on Jewish individuals in hiding in exchange for protection. Van den Bergh was never sent to a concentration camp. He died in 1950. Investigators brought together by a documentary filmmaker uncovered a report from a decades-old police inquiry that said Otto Frank, Anne’s father and the only family member to survive Nazi concentration camps, received an anonymous note saying it was van den Bergh who betrayed them. CBS NEWS 

Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Mark Milley tests positive for COVID Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tested positive for COVID-19 and “is experiencing very minor symptoms,” Joint Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said Monday. Butler added that Milley has been vaccinated and received a booster shot, and had tested negative on several previous days. Milley is the latest of several top Defense Department officials to be infected this month as the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly across the country. Butler said Milley is working remotely in isolation and performing his normal duties. Milley had contact with President Biden on Wednesday at the funeral of Army Gen. Raymond Odierno. The Marine Corps said Monday that its top general, Commandant David Berger, also had tested positive. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Federal appellate court punts Texas abortion law to state Supreme Court  A divided U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel sided with Texas on Monday and sent a challenge to the state’s privately enforced restrictive abortion law to the Texas Supreme Court, where it is expected to linger as the law stays in effect. The Texas abortion clinics challenging the law, which bars the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, had requested the case be sent to a federal district judge who previously blocked the law, until the conservative 5th Circuit appellate court reversed the decision less than 48 hours later. The appellate panel decided that before the federal judge gets the case again, the Texas Supreme Court needs to determine whether state law allows the clinics to sue state licensing officials, as the U.S. Supreme Court allowed. THE TEXAS TRIBUNE 

British woman died trying to rescue dogs in Tonga tsunami A British woman, 50-year-old Angela Glover, died after being swept away by a tsunami that hit Tonga after an underwater volcano erupted over the weekend, her brother Nick Eleini said. Glover and her husband James had established the Tonga Animal Welfare Society in the South Pacific archipelago, where they rehabilitated stray dogs and found them new homes. “I understand that this terrible accident came about as they tried to rescue their dogs,” Eleini said. Glover’s husband managed to hold onto a tree and survived. Australian officials said no mass casualties were reported after the disaster, although communication remained limited and search and rescue crews reported extensive damages in many coastal areas. REUTERS 

Stock futures plunge as Treasury yields rise U.S. stock futures fell sharply early Tuesday as government bond yields hit pandemic-era highs ahead of more corporate earnings reports. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were down by 0.8 percent and 1.2 percent at 6:30 a.m. ET. Futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq were down by 1.8 percent. U.S. markets were closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. The turmoil came after the closely watched two-year Treasury yield rose above 1 percent for the first time since February 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit and dragged the U.S. economy into a recession. The 10-year Treasury rose to 1.83 percent, the highest since January 2020. The movement came as expectations mounted that the Federal Reserve will speed up rate hikes to fight high inflation. CNBC 

Monday,  January 17th, 2022 

Surgeon general warns COVID wave hasn’t peaked Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned Sunday that the record-setting wave of COVID-19 cases fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant had not peaked yet in the United States. Murthy said on CNN’s State of the Union that hospitalizations and deaths could continue to rise for the next few weeks, with many hospitals overwhelmed with a nationwide record number of COVID-19 patients. The “good news,” Murthy said, is that the surge of new infections has leveled off or dropped in the Northeast, particularly in New York City and New Jersey. “The challenge is that the entire country is not moving at the same pace,” he said. “We shouldn’t expect a national peak in the coming days,” adding that “the next few weeks will be tough.” The seven-day average of new cases was more than 800,000 over the weekend.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Djokovic is deported from Australia, and disqualified from the Australian Open. He is replaced with Salvatore Caruso from Italy. (ABC News Australia) 

A Parisian court fines far-right French television pundit and presidential candidate Eric Zemmour €10,000 for calling unaccompanied migrant children “rapists” and “murderers” during a September 2020 television broadcast. (BBC News) 

Canada deploys a small contingent of special forces to Ukraine as part of a NATO response to deter Russian aggression. The unit is also being tasked with evacuating diplomatic personnel from the Canadian embassy in Kyiv in the event of a full-scale invasion. (Reuters) 

The United Kingdom begins supplying anti-tank guided missiles to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia, according to a statement from Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace. A small number of British military personnel will also be deployed to help train Ukrainian troops. (Reuters) 

Royal Air Force C-17 transport aircraft arrive in Ukraine with “light anti-armour weapons” as part of British military support for Ukraine. Germany reportedly denies the aircraft access to German airspace. (UK Defence Journal) 

Three people are killed in a suspected drone attack on petrol tanks at a major oil storage facility near Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates. The Yemen-based Houthis claims responsibility for the attack, saying that they launched “five ballistic missiles and a large number of drones”.  (CNN) 

An independent investigation team identifies Arnold van den Bergh, a member of Amsterdam’s Jewish Council, as the most likely person responsible for reporting The Diary of a Young Girl author Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis in 1944, leading to their deaths in a concentration camp. (BBC News) 

The South China Morning Post reports that Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, stated that the first patient infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Beijing received a letter mailed from Canada on January 7 and does not rule out the possibility that the patient was infected via contact with the letter. (South China Morning Post)

Leader of the Official Opposition of Canada Erin O’Toole responds to the report, calling it “comical”. (National Post) 

Greece begins to introduce monthly fines for people over the age of 60 who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 amid an increase in the number of new cases in the country. The monthly fine will initially be €50 this month and will be €100 per month thereafter. (NPR) 

The Netherlands reports a record 42,472 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (NL Times) 

Businesses urge Congress to pass more coronavirus relief A host of businesses, from hotels to minor league ball clubs, are lobbying Congress for more coronavirus relief funding as the Omicron variant drives an unprecedented wave of COVID-19 cases. The new surge has forced many companies to curtail their operations or shut down completely due to safety concerns, staff shortages, and canceled orders. Some Republican lawmakers support a fresh round of funding for certain industries, but most oppose more funding, arguing that the federal government already has provided sufficient relief. “The U.S. government has no money to give anyone,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Jason Freier, the owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts Double-A baseball team in Tennessee, said that after the 2020 season was canceled and 2021 revenue fell by nearly 20 percent compared to 2019, “it is pretty urgent.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Netanyahu negotiating plea deal in corruption case Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a plea deal on corruption charges that threaten to tarnish his legacy and force him out of politics for years, The Associated Press reported Sunday, citing a person involved in the talks. A deal could be signed as early as this week. If an agreement is finalized it could ignite a race for leadership of Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party, but spare Netanyahu from a potentially damaging trial. One issue holding up an agreement is the inclusion of a “moral turpitude” charge that would bar Netanyahu from politics for seven years under Israeli law. Any agreement could face a challenge in court, and demonstrators gathered outside the attorney general’s house over the weekend to protest the potential deal. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

French lawmakers approve vaccine pass France’s parliament on Sunday voted 215 to 58 to give final approval to establish a vaccine pass and other measures to step up efforts to curb coronavirus infections. Under the new law, people will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to enter restaurants, movie theaters, long-range trains, and other public places. The measure, which will take effect within days, was passed over the objections of anti-vaccine protesters. President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month told Le Parisien newspaper that he hoped to “piss off” unvaccinated and disrupt their lives so much that they give in and get the shots. REUTERS 

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announces that the United Kingdom‘s state broadcaster BBC will be reformed, with the television licence fee being abolished in 2027. Funding of the BBC will also be frozen for the next two years. (The Guardian) 

Denmark reopens cinemas, zoos, museums and theatres as well as allowing limited number of spectators in indoor and outdoor sports despite the rising number of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases in the country. (AP) 

The Philippines says that it has agreed to buy 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters from Polish aerospace manufacturer PZL Mielec for 32 billion pesos ($624 million) in order to replace its aging fleet of Huey helicopters. (Reuters) 

The French National Assembly votes 215-58 to give a final approval of mandatory vaccine pass that will require people aged above 16 years to be fully vaccinated in order to enter public places and long-distance public transport. The new law regarding vaccine pass will take effect in coming days once the law gets approved from the Constitutional Council. (Voice of America) 

The Federal Court of Australia confirms the lawfulness and legality of the visa cancellation and deportation order against Novak Djokovic issued by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Alex Hawke. Djokovic’s lawyers are considering legal recourse while Djokovic himself has said that he is disappointed with the decision but will cooperate with Australian authorities. (ABC News Australia) 

The End

Sunday, January 16th, 2022 

Onslow, Western Australia, reports the hottest day in recorded Australian history, reaching a high of 50.7°C (123.3°F). (The Guardian) 

Russian involvement suspected in cyberattack against Ukraine Microsoft has detected dangerous malware infecting dozens of government and private Ukrainian computer networks, the tech giant warned Saturday. The still-unidentified hackers behind the attack also left a message warning Ukrainians to “be afraid and expect the worst.” Ukrainian officials say they suspect Russian involvement. Russia previously launched cyberattacks against Ukraine in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Talks between the U.S. and Russia broke down around the time of the attack, after Russian diplomats refused demands to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border. Intelligence analysts have warned that Russia is preparing a “false flag” operation to justify an invasion of Ukraine very soon. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Djokovic forced to leave Australia after court upholds visa cancellation Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left Australia Sunday night after a court ruling upheld the immigration minister’s decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa. Djokovic traveled to Australia on Jan. 5 but was denied entry because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. After the Serbian champion won an initial appeal, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke invoked his ministerial discretion to cancel Djokovic’s visa, arguing that the unvaccinated athlete’s presence in the country would stoke “anti-vaccination sentiment” and lead to “civil unrest.” Djokovic, who was scheduled to play his first match of the Australian Open Monday, said he was “extremely disappointed.” NPR 

Trump mocks and criticizes Biden at rally in Arizona Former President Donald Trump repeated his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and castigated President Biden for his handling of inflation, supply chain issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the southern border at a rally in Florence, Arizona, Saturday. Trump also did an impression of his successor, pounding the podium with his fist in an accurate approximation of Biden’s gestures and saying “I’m gonna get rid of COVID. I’m gonna get ri-i-id of COVID!” in a much less accurate approximation of Biden’s voice. The former president did not, however, reveal whether he plans to run for a second term in 2024. Trump is expected to announce his decision after the 2022 midterms. NEWSWEEK 

Over 2,400 Sunday flights canceled as winter storm strikes East Coast According to tracking site FlightAware, airlines canceled more than 2,400 into, out of, or within the United States as winter storms struck the Southeast. North Carolina’s Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines, canceled almost 90 percent of its flights. American Airlines announced it will allow travelers affected by the weather to rebook flights with no fee. In anticipation of the storm, the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia all declared states of emergency Saturday. CNN BUSINESSFLIGHTAWARE 

Official death toll from Kazakhstan unrest stands at 225 Kazakhstan’s prosecutor general’s office announced Saturday that the death toll from last week’s unrest now stands at 225, including 19 members of state security forces. The protests began to die down when a contingent of mostly Russian troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which both Russia and Kazakhstan are members, arrived in the country. CSTO troops began withdrawing from the Central Asian former Soviet republic Thursday and are expected to be completely out by Jan. 23. REUTERS 

The death toll from the civil unrest in Kazakhstan increases to 225, including 19 members of the security forces, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office. (Reuters) 

Rail trade between China and North Korea resumes A train from North Korea pulled into a Chinese station Sunday, marking the end of a long period of particularly intense North Korean isolation. Chinese brokers said North Korea was planning to re-open its border to rail trade with China Monday, but the timetable appears to have been moved up. “My business partner in North Korea told me on Friday that the land border will reopen to cargo freight on Jan. 17,” one Chinese commodities trader said. North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This self-imposed isolation has led to food shortages, while restrictions on internal movement have cut down on defections to South Korea. REUTERS 

Suspect dead and all hostages safe after FBI storms Texas synagogue An FBI hostage rescue team stormed a Texas synagogue Saturday night, ending an almost 11-hour standoff with a hostage-taker who claimed to have a bomb and may have ties to al-Qaeda. The suspect was shot and killed. Four people, including the congregation’s rabbi, were held hostage Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. The suspect released one hostage around 5:00 p.m. The other three were freed following the FBI raid, which started around 10:00 p.m. According to FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno, the suspect has been identified, but authorities are not yet ready to reveal his name. CNN 

An armed man claiming to be the brother of Pakistani Al-Qaeda suspect Aafia Siddiqui holds congregants hostage at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, United States. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) 

Extent of tsunami damage in Tonga remains unclear The extent of tsunami damage in the Polyneasian archipelago nation of Tonga remains unclear as ash obstructs the view from the sky and the submarine cable that connects Tonga to the outside world remains out of commission. New Zealand’s government has pledged the equivalent of around $340,000 to aid in recovery with the promise of more to follow. Tonga was struck by a tsunami Saturday after an undersea volcano erupted 40 miles south of the capital city on the main island of Tongatapu. The volcano, called Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, shot smoke and ash more than 12 miles into the sky and produced a shockwave felt as far away as New Zealand. AL JAZEERA 

‘Biden’ blames Spider-Man for political setbacks in SNL cold open In the most recent Saturday Night Live cold open, James Austin Johnson gave a press conference as President Biden in which he offered a solution to the ongoing pandemic. “There is one simple thing you can do to make this whole virus go away,” Johnson-as-Biden said. “Stop seeing Spider-Man!” He went on to explain that, because the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home coincided perfectly with the beginning of the Omicron wave, it must have caused it. Seeing other movies, he told “reporters,” was fine. Johnson-as-Biden also blamed his other political setbacks on the latest Marvel film: “You think people can focus on voting rights when Spider-Man’s Aunt May is a freakin’ smokeshow?” THE WEEK 

Glenn Youngkin sworn in as governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin (R), who defeated former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) last November in a race that attracted national attention, was sworn in as Virginia’s 74th governor around noon Saturday. One of his first executive orders banned “the use of divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, in public education.” Youngkin takes office with a divided state government: Democrats hold a 3-seat majority in the Senate, while Republicans control the Assembly 52 to 48. Winsome Sears (R) was also sworn in as Virginia’s lieutenant governor, becoming the first woman of color to hold that office. Jason Miyares, also a Republican, took office as the commonwealth’s first Hispanic attorney general. THE WEEK 

Saturday, January 15th, 2022 

Australia detains Djokovic again The Australian government canceled Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa for the second time and placed him back in immigration detention. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday that he canceled Djokovic’s visa again on “health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so,” given Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. A federal court will hear his case Sunday. Djokovic is scheduled to play his first match in the Australian Open Monday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Students walk out of class over Omicron concerns Hundreds of students in Boston, Chicago, and other U.S. school districts staged walkouts Friday, demanding a return to remote instruction as Omicron cases continue to spike. “It was like: ‘This person has COVID. That person has COVID. Another person has COVID,’” said one of the students organizing a walkout in Montgomery County, Maryland. Many of the protesting students claim schools need to do more to provide them with COVID tests and high-quality masks, while others insist that in-person learning should be suspended altogether. The Omicron-driven surge in new infections has not produced a corresponding increase in deaths from COVID. REUTERS 

Insurance now covers at-home COVID tests Americans who have health insurance are entitled to receive up to eight rapid, at-home COVID tests per household member per month for free under a new Biden administration policy that took effect Saturday. Consumers can purchase tests over the counter and file for reimbursement or order tests for free on a special government website. The White House said Friday that this site will be live by Wednesday and that 500 million free tests are available. USA TODAY 

Russia may be preparing a ‘false-flag’ operation as pretext to Ukraine invasion The U.S. has information indicating Russia to be preparing a “false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine,” per a U.S. official, in an attempt at creating pretext for an invasion of the former Soviet republic. The official also said the U.S. has evidence that Russia has pre-positioned operatives “trained in urban warfare and in using explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces,” CNN reports. A false-flag attack is one designed to look as though it were carried out someone other than the person (or, in this case, country) responsible. Adolf Hitler used a similar tactic to justify Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. CNN 

Pence compares Biden’s voting bills to Jan. 6 Former Vice President Mike Pence published an op-ed in The Washington Post Friday with the headline, “Jan. 6 was a power grab. So is busting the filibuster to nationalize elections.” In the piece, Pence contrasted President Biden’s voting rights bills, which Pence said would give the federal government too much control, with his own behavior following the 2020 election. Former President Donald Trump’s fiercest supporters turned against Pence when he refused to overturn the 2020 election by rejecting slates of electors from states Biden won. Videos of the Jan. 6 attack show protesters chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and constructing a gallows. Pence also wrote that Biden’s bills, if passed, would deliver “an irreversible victory for the radical left.” THE GUARDIAN 

Dem organizers prepare for uphill battle after Biden’s voting bills fail After opposition from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) killed President Biden’s push to pass federal voting rights legislation by removing the filibuster, Democratic organizers are preparing for a difficult road ahead. Biden’s bills would have superseded the election security laws that many Republican-controlled states, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud, have passed since the 2020 election. With those bills remaining in place, Democrats say they could be forced to redirect hundreds of millions of dollars from candidates to voter registration and turnout drives. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Portland police presentation mocked ‘dirty hippy’ protesters and encouraged violence Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Friday that the Portland Police Bureau has launched an internal investigation into a training slideshow that included comical descriptions of violence against “dirty hippy” protesters. The 100-page PowerPoint presentation from 2018 provided straightforward guidance on how to handle mass protests and riots, but the final slide reflected a shift in tone. It featured an image of an officer in riot gear striking a seemingly unarmed protester. “They may christen your heads with hickory, and anoint your faces with pepper spray,” the mock-biblical text accompanying the image read, along with a reference to protesters being “stitched and bandaged.” CNN 

Southern states brace for severe winter storms The governors of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of a winter storm system expected to strike the southeastern United States Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, the storm will “move eastward to the Southeast by Sunday morning, then head northeastward to the northern mid-Atlantic by Monday.” Stores are selling out of essentials while road crews desperately work to avoid a repeat of the situation in Virginia that left thousands stranded on I-95 earlier this month. CNN 

Supreme Court to hear case of high school football coach fired for praying on field The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday that it would hear the case of Joe Kennedy, who lost his job as a high school football coach for praying with players after games. Bremerton School District in Washington state fired Kennedy in 2015. “He led the team in prayer in the locker room before each game, and some players began to join him for his post-game prayer, too, where his practice ultimately evolved to include full-blown religious speeches to, and prayers with, players from both teams after the game,” wrote a judge from the Ninth Circuit Court, which ruled against Kennedy. Kennedy claims his rights to free speech and free exercise of religion were trampled, while the district argues Kennedy’s actions violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause.   FOX NEWS 

Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga. (The Sydney Morning Herald) 

Tsunami strikes Tonga after undersea volcanic eruption The Polynesian archipelago nation of Tonga was struck by a tsunami Saturday after an undersea volcano erupted 40 miles south of the capital city on the main island of Tongatapu. No injuries or fatalities have yet been reported, but videos show large waves striking the shore and swirling around houses as people flee to higher ground. King Tupou VI has been evacuated from his palace by the sea. The extent of the damage is still unclear due to spotty communications. Tonga has a population of just over 100,000 people, of whom 70 percent live on the main island. BBC 

King Tupou VI is evacuated from the Royal Palace by His Majesty’s Armed Forces. (CNN) 

Iran reports its first three confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in people from the cities of Tabriz, Yazd and Shahrekord. (CNA) 

The Philippines reports a record for the third consecutive day of 39,004 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,168,379. (Rappler) 

In an extraordinary session, the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo votes to ban Kosovo Serbs from voting in Serbia‘s upcoming constitutional referendum on Kosovan territory. (Reuters) 

In American football, the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19, ending their 31-year playoff drought and winning a playoff game for the first time since 1991. (BBC Sport) 

Friday,  January 14th, 2022 

Australian minister cancels Djokovic’s visa, again Australia’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, canceled tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa on Friday, citing the need to protect “health and good order.” Djokovic is unvaccinated against the coronavirus, but he entered the country last week with a medical exemption, based on the fact that he already had COVID-19 in December. The world’s top-ranked men’s player, who is seeking a record 21st Grand Slam title in the upcoming Australian Open, was detained after authorities determined he did not have documents adequately supporting the exemption, invalidating his visa, but a judge ordered his release. Authorities then found there was false information on his travel declaration. Djokovic has apologized for what he says was “human error” on the form, and his lawyers said they would appeal Hawke’s decision. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Russia says Ukraine talks at impasse as fear of war rises Russia said Ukraine talks were hitting a dead end but diplomacy would continue, while Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau warned that “the risk of war” in Europe is the greatest it has been in 30 years. Russia has deployed about 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine. The United States and Western allies fear Moscow is preparing to invade. Talks in three European cities this week were hampered by Russia’s call for the West to bar Ukraine from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which the U.S. and NATO said was a “non-starter.” Russian Ambassador Alexander Lukashevich warned there could be “catastrophic consequences” without agreement on what Moscow says are security red lines. “The threat of military invasion is high,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. REUTERS 

Up to 70 Ukrainian Government websites are hit by cyberattacks. (BBC News) 

Talks between NATO and Russia over Ukraine hit a breaking point as Poland warns of possible war. (Al Jazeera) 

The U.S. Senate rejects a bill that would sanction the Nord Stream pipeline amidst fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. (The New York Times) 

The Philippine Department of Transportation issues a memorandum banning unvaccinated individuals from using all forms of public transportation in the National Capital Region beginning on January 17. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

The Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government issues an administrative order to all barangays in the Philippines to submit a list of unvaccinated residents in order to prevent their movement in response to the recent increase in cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (GMA News) 

The Philippines reports a record of 34,021 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,092,409. This is the highest reported number of cases in a day since the start of the pandemic. (GMA News) 

As part of the fallout from his ongoing civil sexual assault trial, Prince Andrew hands back all of his royal patronages and military titles to the Queen and drops the use of the title “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity. (BBC News) 

The End Sunday 

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Alex Hawke, invokes his ministerial powers under the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa on “health and good order grounds”. (ABC News Australia) 

Supreme Court blocks Biden vaccine mandate for large companies The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large companies, but let a similar requirement stand for health-care workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency measure, which applied to businesses with 100 or more employees and would affect 80 million workers, required workers to get vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test weekly. It also required non-vaccinated workers to wear masks at indoor workplaces. The court’s conservative majority said Congress had “indisputably” given OSHA power to regulate occupational dangers, but not “to regulate public health more broadly.” Liberal Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented, saying the majority was telling “the agency charged with protecting worker safety that it may not do so.” CNBC 

Biden says administration will buy another 500 million COVID tests President Biden announced Thursday that his administration would buy 500 million more COVID-19 tests for Americans, and dispatch military medical teams to help at hospitals overwhelmed with patients sickened in the Omicron coronavirus variant wave. The test purchases will double the number of kits the Biden administration plans to distribute to people free of charge. The 120 military medical personnel will go to six states where medical facilities have been swamped with new COVID-19 cases. Biden also promised to unveil a plan next week to provide high-quality N95 and KN95 masks, also free of charge, as part of an effort to increase protection and slow the spread of the virus. “As I’ve said in the last two years, please wear a mask,” Biden said. “I think it’s part of your patriotic duty.” THE NEW YORK TIMESUSA TODAY 

Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Facebook, Google, Reddit, Twitter records The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack has subpoenaed Google-parent Alphabet, Facebook- and Instagram-parent Meta Platforms, Reddit, and Twitter, seeking records on the spread of misinformation, efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, domestic extremism, and foreign meddling in the 2020 election. The select committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said in a statement that the panel was trying to determine “how the spread of misinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent attack on our democracy, and what steps — if any — social media companies took to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalizing people to violence.” He said the committee had been seeking the documents for months. Meta said it had provided the requested documents and would continue to cooperate. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Oath Keepers founder indicted on seditious conspiracy charges Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the extremist Oath Keepers group, has been indicted and arrested for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters, according to indictments unsealed Thursday. Rhodes, 56, was at the Capitol during the insurrection but has denied entering the building. The Oath Keepers leader is the most high-profile suspect charged to date in the investigation of the riot. Rhodes and 10 other Oath Keepers and associates have been charged with seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors say the suspects developed and participated in a plan to try to disrupt lawmakers on the day they certified President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Queen strips Prince Andrew of military titles, patronages Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles and remaining royal patronages after failing to get a sexual abuse lawsuit against him dismissed. Buckingham Palace said Thursday that Andrew gave them up with the “approval and agreement” of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Andrew will no longer use the “His Royal Highness” title in an official capacity. The queen will redistribute his roles immediately to other members of the royal family, a source told CNN. The changes came a day after a U.S. judge ruled that a sex-abuse lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre can proceed. Giuffre says she was forced into sex with Andrew when she was 17 by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Andrew denies the allegations. CNN 

Newsom rejects parole for Sirhan Sirhan California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday denied parole to Sirhan Sirhan, the 77-year-old Palestinian immigrant who assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) in 1968. Kennedy, who was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, had just made a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and was walking through the hotel’s pantry when Sirhan, then 24, walked up from behind and shot him point-blank in the back of the head. Sirhan has said he didn’t remember the shooting and suggested he must have been hypnotized. Despite a parole board release recommendation, Newsom said that Sirhan has “failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Sen. Kennedy,” so there’s no guarantee he would not still pose a threat. POLITICOTHE WASHINGTON POST 

Navient Corp. agrees to cancel $1.7 billion in student debt Navient Corp., a former unit of Sallie Mae, said Thursday it would cancel $1.7 billion in private student debt to settle allegations of deceptive lending practices. The agreement, which Navient reached with 40 state attorneys general, will affect about 66,000 borrowers. Nearly all the canceled loans originated at Sallie Mae from 2002 to 2010, when Navient serviced accounts at the student loan giant as student debt soared. Most of the affected loans, all of which were in default, were taken out by borrowers with poor credit who went to for-profit schools and other insitutions with less-than-stellar records, according to a website run by the settlement administrator. Navient denied it hurt any borrowers. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Biden picks 3 nominees for Fed board President Biden has settled on three nominees for the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, including former Fed official Sarah Bloom Raskin and Lisa Cook, who would be the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board, The Associated Press reported Friday, citing a person familiar with the decision. Biden also will nominate economist Phillip Jefferson, dean of faculty at North Carolina’s Davidson College and a former Fed researcher. The nominees, if confirmed by the Senate, will join the Fed as it tries to raise interest rates and taper its asset purchases to curb high inflation, without hampering the economic recovery from the damage of the coronavirus pandemic. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly got engaged and ‘drank each other’s blood’ We’ve been hoping for a Jennifer’s Body sequel for years, but this isn’t quite what we had in mind. Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly have announced their engagement, with Fox sharing a video on Instagram of the rapper getting down on one knee. They confirmed their relationship in summer 2020. “Somehow a year and a half later, having walked through hell together, and having laughed more than I ever imagined possible, he asked me to marry him,” the Transformers star wrote, concluding with the extremely casual declaration, “…and then we drank each other’s blood.” Sure, makes sense, no follow-up questions here! Last year, Kelly revealed “I wear [Fox’s] blood around my neck” after she gave him a vial before going off to shoot a movie. You know, as you do. “Some people give like a handkerchief to their partner or whatever,” he said. “She gave me her DNA.”  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet split Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet are parting like the sea. The Aquaman and The Cosby Show stars announced they’re getting divorced after over four years of marriage and 16 years together. In a rather sweeping and dramatic joint statement, Momoa and Bonet, who have two children, said “we have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times,” declaring that a “revolution is unfolding — and our family is of no exception.” Although they’ll be “parting ways in marriage,” Momoa and Bonet said that the “love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived,” and “we free each other — to be who are learning to become.” Naturally, Game of Thrones fans waited approximately five minutes before plastering their Jason Momoa and Emilia Clarke shipping dreams all over Twitter.  TMZNBC NEWS 

Kanye West is reportedly under investigation for criminal battery Kanye West is reportedly under investigation for punching someone, and believe it or not, it wasn’t Pete Davidson. The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly investigating West for criminal battery after he allegedly punched a fan in downtown L.A. at about 3 a.m. The news was first reported by FOX 11, which said a fan told police he approached West to ask for an autograph when the rapper “jumped out of his car” and “punched him, knocking him to the ground,” FOX 11 reporter Gigi Graciette said. A police report was reportedly filed, though West was apparently no longer at the scene when police arrived. Misdemeanor battery, TMZ notes, carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.  TMZPAGE SIX 

Jesse Plemons got ‘pissed’ after Benedict Cumberbatch called him a ‘big boy’ Benedict Cumberbatch became the latest Oscar hopeful to utilize method acting on the set of The Power of the Dog, and Jesse Plemons’ feelings were harmed in the process. Plemons recalled to Variety a moment Cumberbatch got “under my skin” while immersed in character. “He was like, ‘Hey, big boy.’ It wasn’t ‘fatso.’ I feel like a few people in life have been like, ‘Hey, big boy,’ and I was like, ‘Goddamn it. What the f—.” Cumberbatch’s character in the film bullies Plemons’, but after shooting, Plemons told his co-star the comment “pissed me off,” prompting an apology. “He was like, ‘I’m so sorry,’” Plemons said. “I was like, ‘No, don’t worry. It was great.’” Considering certain other actors have been known to mail used condoms and anal beads to people when they go method, we’d say Plemons got off easy.  VARIETYINSIDER 

Thursday, January 13th, 2022 

NATO-Russia talks on Ukraine end in stalemate Russia and NATO ended four hours of talks in Brussels about Ukraine with no resolution on Wednesday, in the second round of discussions aimed at preventing Moscow from invading Ukraine again. The U.S. and Russia held talks in Geneva on Sunday and Monday, and Ukraine will participate on Thursday, when Russian diplomats meet in Vienna with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sent 100,000 troops to the Ukraine border, is demanding that NATO guarantee Ukraine and Georgia never join the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that all 30 NATO members agreed that NATO can’t let Russia dictate who can join, and warned there was “a real risk of a new armed conflict in Europe.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Talks between NATO and Russia over Ukraine hit a breaking point as Poland warns of possible war. (Al Jazeera) 

Vladimir Putin warns that Russia will cut ties with the United States if sanctions are placed upon him. (Business Insider) 

Unidentified militants launch several rockets at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, injuring a woman and a child. (CNN) 

The Nigerian government lifts its Twitter ban, which was implemented in June 2021, after Twitter agreed to pay an “applicable tax” and also establish a legal entity within the country sometime in the first quarter of the year. (The Guardian Nigeria) 

Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 81,417 new cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency) 

Sweden reports a record 25,215 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (U.S. News and World Report) 

Bangladesh bans all public gatherings, restricts the capacity of public transportation to 50%, and mandates that face masks be worn in all public places in an attempt to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Business Standard) 

South Korea receives their first shipment of Pfizer’s Paxlovid anti-COVID-19 oral drug. (AP) 

The WHO guideline development group of international experts recommends the use of rheumatoid arthritis drug Baricitinib for severe and critical COVID-19 patients in combination with corticosteroids. (The Times of India) 

Italy imposes a six-month ban of hunting and other activities involving direct or indirect contact with infected boars in 114 rural areas in the north-western regions of Piedmont and Liguria, where the spread African swine fever has infected the animals. (Reuters) 

The French Senate votes 249–63, with 26 abstentions, to approve a bill that would ban unvaccinated people from entering bars, restaurants, and other public places and also from using long-distance public transport. However, the modified bill would only apply to people over the age of 18 years and would only be in effect if the number of hospitalized patients exceeds 10,000 nationwide. (The Independent) 

As part of the fallout from his ongoing civil sexual assault trial, Prince Andrew hands back all of his royal patronages and military titles to the Queen and drops the use of the title “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity. (BBC News) 

Israel and the Argentine foreign ministry separately issue condemnations against the presence of Iranian minister Mohsen Rezai at the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Rezai is wanted by Argentina for his alleged connections to the 1994 AMIA bombing. (The Jerusalem Post) 

The Federal Court of Australia orders that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic be released from immigration detention and allowed to compete in the Australian Open in order to defend his Championship, and also orders the federal government to pay Djokovic’s legal fees. (BBC News) 

In American football, Georgia defeats Alabama to win the national championship, its first since 1980. (CBS News) 

Kristen Stewart shockingly get snubbed at the SAG Awards Did erstwhile Oscar frontrunner Kristen Stewart just get knocked out of the Best Actress race? Stewart was long the favorite to win Best Actress at the 2022 Oscars for playing Princess Diana in Spencer. But on Wednesday, Stewart was shockingly left off the lead actress nominations list for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Instead, the nominees were Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Olivia Colman for The Lost Daughter, Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, Jennifer Hudson for Respect, and Nicole Kidman for Being the Ricardos. It was a major setback for Stewart considering, as awards pundit Nathaniel Rogers noted, nobody has ever won Best Actress at the Oscars without first getting a SAG nod, though Regina King did so in the supporting category. It seems Golden Globe-winner Kidman may be the frontrunner now. Perhaps Stewart can still get back in the race, but maybe she shouldn’t start writing that acceptance speech just yet.  VARIETY 

Documentary on Evan Rachel Wood and her Marilyn Manson allegations to debut at Sundance A new documentary on Evan Rachel Wood and her decision to come forward with abuse allegations against Marilyn Manson is set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary, Phoenix Rising, “intimately charts her journey as she moves toward naming her infamous abuser for the first time,” as the Westworld star seeks to “reclaim her story in a culture that instinctively blames women,” Sundance said. Director Amy Berg has reportedly been working with Wood on the documentary for over two years, going back to before she came forward in 2021 to allege Manson “horrifically abused me for years.” Wood’s allegations prompted numerous other women to publicly accuse the rock star of sexual abuse. “[Wood is] so candid with us,” Berg told Variety. “And it’s very personal.” The documentary will also air on HBO. 

Manhattan rents surge to highest ever recorded in month of December Manhattan’s median rent rose to nearly $3,400 in December as vaccination rates rose and affluent renters returned to New York City, according to a new report from brokerage Douglas Elliman. The December median marked the highest ever recorded in the normally slow month. The median net-effective rent, adjusted for concessions from landlords, was $3,392, up 21 percent from the same period last year. The highest median rent for any month reached $3,540 a month in April 2020. Slowing lease activity suggested that rental activity is starting to return to pre-pandemic norms after the surge, said Jonathan J. Miller, an appraiser and the report’s author. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Consumer prices rise at fastest pace in 4 decades U.S. inflation rose to an annual rate of 7 percent last year, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The jump in the consumer price index in December, compared to a year earlier, was the fastest since 1982. It was the third straight month with an annual inflation rate above 6 percent. Pandemic-related supply problems contributed to the slight increase from November’s 6.8 percent pace. The core price index, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose by 5.5 percent in December compared to a year earlier, the fastest since 1991. “While inflation is likely to peak in the next few months, the overall pace is going to remain a challenge for consumers, businesses, and policy,” said Sarah House, director and senior economist at Wells Fargo. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Federal deficit fell to 2-year low in December The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the federal government’s December deficit was $21.3 billion, the smallest monthly shortfall in two years. The shift came as the economy rebounded from the worst damage of the coronavirus pandemic, boosting tax receipts while spending on COVID-19 relief programs declined. The government has posted a $377.7 billion deficit since Oct. 1 in the first three months of the budget year, a 30.1 percent drop compared to the same period a year ago, when Washington was spending trillions to support families and businesses struggling to stay afloat through the coronavirus pandemic. Those programs are being used less now, and some have expired. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Trump hangs up on NPR interviewer who pressed him about false election claims Former President Donald Trump hung up nine minutes into what was supposed to be a 15-minute interview after NPR’s Steve Inskeep pressed him on his false claims that election fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election. Trump insisted during the interview that the only way to hold legitimate elections is to “solve the problem of the presidential rigged election of 2020.” Trump repeated his criticism of Republican Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.), who said Sunday that the 2020 election was fair, saying that Rounds was “totally wrong” and that some Republican senators are turning on him “because Mitch McConnell is a loser.” Inskeep noted that numerous judges have rejected efforts by Trump allies to overturn 2020 election results, finding no evidence fraud affected the results. CBS NEWS 

McCarthy refuses to talk to House Jan. 6 committee House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Wednesday turned down a request for an interview with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, calling the panel “illegitimate” and accusing it of “abuse of power.” The committee earlier in the day sent McCarthy a request for an interview about his communication with then-President Donald Trump and his White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, during and after the insurrection. “You have acknowledged speaking directly with the former president while the violence was underway on Jan. 6,” the panel’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), wrote in the letter. Thompson said McCarthy also reportedly talked with Trump after the mob stormed the Capitol seeking to prevent lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s election victory. AXIOS 

U.S. imposes sanctions after North Korea missile tests The Treasury Department on Wednesday announced it was imposing sanctions on six North Koreans, one Russian, and a Russian company for helping Pyongyang acquire supplies for its weapons program from Russia and China. The penalties came after North Korea completed a series of missile launches, including two last week. These are the first sanctions directly targeting North Korea’s weapons programs that the Biden administration has imposed. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. is still committed to seeking diplomatic solutions to the standoff with Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and missile programs, although so far Biden administration efforts to restart a dialogue have not succeeded. REUTERS 

Biden administration to send schools 10 million COVID tests monthly The Biden administration will provide schools with 5 million COVID-19 rapid tests and 5 million more sensitive, lab-based PCR tests each month, starting this month, to counter supply shortages and help schools stay open, the White House announced Wednesday. Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, will join the administration’s pandemic-response team to supervise the testing push. The Biden administration also recently announced that it was requiring private insurers to reimburse Americans for COVID tests, and launching a website where people will be able to order free tests to be shipped to them. The increase in the supply of tests comes as the Omicron-variant-fueled wave of new cases is nearing its expected peak. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ‘extremely unwell’ with COVID West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) postponed his State of the State address, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, after testing positive for COVID-19. Justice, 70, said he was “extremely unwell” but “thankful to the Lord above that I’ve been vaccinated, I’ve been boosted, and that I have an incredible support system, especially my loving family.” Justice added that his wife, Cathy, tested negative for the virus. Justice’s office said he was experiencing moderate symptoms, including headache, fever, congestion, and coughing. He received a monoclonal antibody treatment and is recovering at home. West Virginia’s top COVID-19 adviser, Dr. Clay Marsh, said he has “full confidence that Gov. Justice will recover quickly, and it’s because he chose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and his booster shot.” NPR 

Judge declines to dismiss sex-abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew A federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an American woman, Virginia Giuffre, against Britain’s Prince Andrew over her allegation that he sexually abused her when she was 17. The prince’s lawyers argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because of an old legal settlement between Giuffre and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who Giuffre said arranged the abusive encounters. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the lawsuit could proceed because the settlement between Giuffre and Epstein didn’t involve Prince Andrew. Giuffre said Andrew sexually abused her in encounters arranged by Epstein, who died in prison awaiting a sex-trafficking trial, and his companion Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last month for luring girls for Epstein to abuse. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Pop singer Ronnie Spector dies at 78 Ronnie Spector, leader of ’60s girl group the Ronettes, died Wednesday following a short battle with cancer. She was 78. Born Veronica, Spector started the Ronettes in the late 1950s with her sister, Estelle Bennett, and cousin, Nedra Talley. Their debut — and only — album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, was released in 1964. Their hits included “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You,” and they toured England with the Rolling Stones. The Ronettes broke up in 1967 after touring Germany, and Spector went on to release four solo albums. Spector, known for her style and love of bee-hives, wrote in her memoir, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, that the Ronettes “weren’t afraid to be hot. That was our gimmick.” LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Jamie Lynn Spears insists she helped Britney during conservatorship battle Jamie Lynn Spears is commenting on Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle, insisting to Good Morning America that she did try to help her sister. “I’ve always been my sister’s biggest supporter,” the Zoey 101 star said, “so when she needed help, I set up ways to do so, went out of my way to make sure that she had the contacts she needed.” Spears’ conservatorship finally ended in November, and Jamie Lynn said she was “happy” about this, adding she “didn’t understand what was happening” when the conservatorship was set up 13 years ago. Britney Spears has repeatedly slammed her family’s handling of the conservatorship and recently unfollowed Jamie Lynn on Instagram. Britney also criticized that her sister “performed MY SONGS” at an awards show in 2017, adding, “My so-called support system hurt me deeply !!!!” Jamie Lynn tearfully told ABC of their rift, “I don’t know why we’re in this position right now.”  GOOD MORNING AMERICA 

Diane Kruger says Quentin Tarantino didn’t want to cast her in ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Quentin Tarantino almost said arrivederci to Diane Kruger while casting Inglourious Basterds. In a new podcast interview, Kruger revealed the director originally didn’t want to cast her as Bridget von Hammersmark in his 2009 war film, explaining, “He saw a movie that I was in he didn’t like. So he didn’t believe in me from the get-go.” In fact, Kruger says she only got an audition because “there was no one left,” and she recalls having to ” jump through all these hoops” to get the role, including paying for her own flight to Germany because Taratino wouldn’t meet with her in the United States. “But I was like, ‘You know what? F— him!” Kruger said. “I’m just gonna do that and prove to him that I can do it.’ And thankfully it all worked out.” Back in 2018, she said the experience of working on Inglourious Basterds was “pure joy,” adding Tarantino “treated me with utter respect.”  THE NEW YORK POST 

U.S. college enrollment drops again U.S. college enrollment dropped by 465,300 students, or 3.1 percent, in the fall compared to a year earlier, according to a report released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The decline, which came as universities took steps back to normal operations, continued a trend that began earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 1 million students now missing from U.S. campuses as attitudes shift about the value of a college education, potentially altering a generation’s career prospects. “The longer this continues, the more it starts to build its own momentum as a cultural shift and not just a short-term effect of the of the pandemic disruptions,” Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, told The Washington Post. THE WASHINGTON POST 

The End

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 

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