This bag of pills and prescription drugs was dropped off for disposal during a drug take-back event in Los Angeles.
“More than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in the US between May 2020 and April 2021, provisional data from the CDC shows. That’s the deadliest year on record for America’s drug epidemic and represents a 28.5% increase from the same period a year earlier. Drug deaths have nearly doubled in the past five years. Synthetic opioids continue to be a leading cause, blamed for nearly two-thirds of drug deaths in the latest 12-month period. The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the historic and deadly rise, experts say. So has the increased use of fentanyl, a stronger and faster-acting drug than natural opiates. President Biden lamented the new data, saying, W’e cannot overlook this epidemic of loss.’ Last month, the Biden administration released its plan to combat drug overdoses, including addressing opioid prescription practices and removing barriers to treatments.” Read more at CNN
Paul Gosar at the Capitol yesterday.Al Drago for The New York Times
“Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger broke ranks yesterday to join all Democrats in voting for a resolution that both censured GOP Rep. Paul Gosar and stripped him of his two committee assignments. The vote came after Gosar posted a photoshopped anime video to his social media accounts showing him appearing to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Biden. The action is a huge rebuke to Gosar and underscores the rift between Cheney and Kinzinger and their GOP colleagues. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy accused Democrats of hypocrisy over the move and suggested Republicans would use similar actions to rebuke Democrats if they retake the majority in next year's midterms. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Republicans are ‘free to do that’ if they win back control of the House.” Read more at CNN
“QAnon shaman sentenced: Jake Angeli, the Phoenix man who joined the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with his face painted and a fur hat with horns was sentenced to 41 months in prison.” Read more at USA Today
Jake Angeli, the 'Q Anon shaman', sentenced for role in January 6th riots Getty
“The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial will deliberate for a third day Thursday as the judge overseeing the case weighs whether to declare a mistrial . Rittenhouse's defense attorneys asked for a mistrial Wednesday after prosecutors conceded they'd sent a lower-quality copy of a potentially crucial video to the defense. Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi said they'd been given grainy drone footage showing Rittenhouse opening fire the night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 while prosecutors had a high-quality version that was played during the trial. Chirafisi said they may have altered their defense based on the video and said it came down to fairness in a court of law. Judge Bruce Schroeder, who has been criticized throughout the case, did not rule on the new mistrial motion nor has he weighed in on a call for one last week. He said the mistrial request will have to be addressed if there is a guilty verdict.” Read more at USA Today
“Biden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether illegal activity by oil and gas companies is pushing up prices at the pump. Biden claimed in his request that costs for oil and gas companies are declining, even though gas prices are rising. Prices have indeed hit record numbers in some parts of the country, and while the move to investigate won’t provide immediate relief, it could provide long-term solutions if evidence of wrongdoing is found. The oil industry has pushed back on the investigation, calling it a ‘distraction.’ A recent rise in crude oil supply could also provide some gas price relief soon for the US and parts of Europe.” Read more at CNN
“We already know flu season may complicate Covid-19 pandemic recovery. But experts are now pointing out that a flu pandemic, like the one that killed at least 50 million people worldwide in 1918 and 1919, could be even worse than Covid-19 if the world isn’t prepared. In a series of reports, the National Academy of Medicine said work needs to begin now on next-generation vaccines and other safeguards to avoid another catastrophe. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is looking to boost Covid-19 vaccine production to increase the global supply, especially in developing nations. And the functional definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ may be changing soon, now that the first full rounds of immunizations are wearing off. The UK has already said a ‘fully vaccinated’ vaccine status maysoon include a booster dose, and other European countries are following suit.” Read more at CNN
“Vaccine plans. The United States is planning to greatly boost its own coronavirus vaccine production with a multi-billion dollar investment in manufacturing capacity, the New York Times reportedon Wednesday, citing two Biden administration officials. The funding aims to help increase capacity within the next six months to the point where the United States can produce 1 billion doses a year, both for domestic and overseas use.
The announcement comes as the Biden administration has stepped up its efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic at home, pledging $5 billion for 10 million courses of Pfizer’s new coronavirus treatment pill and a further $3 billion for rapid testing.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Florida lawmakers passed bills curtailing mask and vaccine mandates.” Read more at New York Times
“The F.D.A. could authorize Moderna boosters for all adults this week.” Read more at New York Times
“Schools across the country are discovering they may have been duped when they spent as much as $100 million on new air systems during COVID — with some of the equipment doing more harm than good.
The big picture: In some cases, the efforts to keep kids and teachers safe in schools may not be as effective as the 99.99% some companies claimed, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports.
In others, the air cleaning systems could be exposing them to the harmful toxins ozone and formaldehyde, experts warn.” Read more at Axios
Norman 3X Butler, now known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz, is escorted by detectives after his arrest in New York in 1965. Photo: AP
“56 years after the murder of Malcolm X, two men convicted of his killing are set to be exonerated.
Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. will ask a judge tomorrow to vacate the sentences of Muhammad Abdul Aziz, 83, and Khalil Islam, who died in 2009.
In a New York Times interview, Vance apologized on behalf of law enforcement, saying ‘what we can do is acknowledge the error, the severity of the error.’
Last year, Vance's office said it was considering reopening the case after Netflix aired ‘Who Killed Malcolm X?’
Between the lines: Scholars and civil rights advocates have long said men charged with killing Malcolm X, later known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, were wrongly convicted, notes Axios' Russell Contreras.
Malcolm X's killing came at a time when the FBI was monitoring civil rights leaders — and actively trying to get the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to kill himself or catch him in a personal scandal.
The big picture: A 22-month investigation found the FBI, NYPD and prosecutors withheld evidence, The Times reports.” Read more at Axios
Graphic: Fox News "Special Report with Bret Baier"
“With Democrats expected to lose the House majority in next year's midterms, exits are accelerating.
A surprise this week: Rep. Jackie Speier, 71, a Speaker Pelosi ally who has represented San Francisco since 2008, announced her retirement by video, saying it's ‘time for me to come home.’ Read more at L.A. Times
“The Biden administration is on the verge of implementing a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to protest human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang province. If it happens, no government officials would attend the games, though US athletes would still participate. Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have advocated for a diplomatic boycott, and Biden already is expected to take a pass. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US is talking with allies about their participation. China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims has been a point of great concern for the international community, and a diplomatic show of disapproval would deprive China and its President Xi Jinping of the usual show of international leadership that comes with hosting the Olympics. The games are set to run from February 4 to 20.” Read more at CNN
“The Biden administration oversaw one of the largest oil and gas lease sales in American history just days after he said he was committed to slowing climate change at the U.N. climate summit. Activists were disappointed in his action, which they say is going in ‘the wrong direction.’” Read more at NPR
“Travis McMichael testified in his own defense during his murder trial over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. He described the use-of-force de-escalation training he received in the Coast Guard. McMichael and his father chased Arbery in a pickup before he shot him with a shotgun.” Read more at NPR
“Former Trump political strategist Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty to his federal contempt charges. He was charged for failing to appear for a deposition and failing to produce documents in response to a subpoena for the House investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection.” Read more at NPR
“President Joe Biden will host Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the White House Thursday for the North American Leaders' Summit. It will be first summit of the three countries' leaders following four years of former President Donald Trump's fractious relationship with Mexico and Canada. While Biden's election was heralded as a return to regional cooperation, his administration has continued several protectionist polices that have rankled America's neighbors, including the ‘Buy American’ initiative outlined in Biden's recently passed $1 trillion infrastructure law and the continuation of a Trump-era immigration policy that allows border agents to expel asylum-seekers to Mexico. On Thursday's agenda: immigration, trade, travel during the pandemic and climate change.” Read more at USA Today
“Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will decideon whether to grant Julius Jones clemency ahead of Jones' planned execution Thursday. The 41-year-old has been incarcerated for nearly 20 years, after being convicted for the fatal shooting of Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking. He was sentenced to death at the age of 22 but has maintained his innocence throughout. Jones' mother gave a heartfelt monologue proclaiming her son's innocence outside the doors of Stitt's office Wednesday. On Nov. 1, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole board voted to recommend Stitt grant Jones clemency and reduce his sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Stitt – who is Jones' last hope for clemency – can either accept the recommendation, reduce the sentence to life without the possibility of parole or let the execution proceed.” Read more at USA Today
“Workers at Deere & Co., the giant manufacturer of farm and construction equipment, on Wednesday ended a month-long strike that has come to symbolize a new era of labor militancy.
Their union, the United Auto Workers, said 10,000 members ratified a new six-year contract offer by a vote of 61 percent to 39 percent. They had rejected two previous offers.
The Deere strike — the first at the company since 1986 — is a prominent symbol of the impact the pandemic has had on the economy. Nearly two years of lockdowns and economic tumult have sparked a wave of labor activism, causing many workers to push for better conditions.” Read more at Washington Post
“Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiyi Reznikov is in Washington today to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as the United States continues to show support for Ukraine amid tensions with Russia over a recent military buildup.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Violence in Sudan. Sudanese military forces opened fire on protesters on Wednesday in the deadliest incident in the country since last month’s coup. At least 17 people were reported killed in the violence which occurred in protests in the cities of Bahri and Omdurman as well as the capital Khartoum. Speaking in Kenya on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was “engaged intensely” with Sudan’s challenges and pledged his full support in restoring the country’s democratic transition.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Australia’s tech future. Australian Prime Minister pledge to make his country a regional power in next generation quantum technology, heralding its applications to the defense and communications sectors, and highlighting U.S. cooperation in the matter in the wake of the AUKUS agreement. The Australian government is set to spend roughly $81 million over the next ten years investing in the technology, which will include setting up a hub to spur commercialization of the technology.
The relatively small sum comes on the heels of a $740 million investment in the country over the next five years from Google and adds to a 2020 government pledge to spend almost $1 billion over the next ten years improving its cyber capabilities.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Barbados is taking a step into the diplomatic unknown, aiming to be the first nation to establish an embassy in the metaverse, a new (and not necessarily improved) version of the internet which Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has bet his company’s future on. Barbadian authorities have already signed a deal with Decentraland, one of the many metaverse platforms, and are in talks with others, AFP reports, with plans to eventually offer virtual consular services. ‘Barbados looks forward to welcoming the world in its metaverse embassy,’ Foreign Minister Jerome Walcott said.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Young Dolph, a promising hip-hop star, was killed in a shooting in Memphis. He was 36.” Read more at New York Times
“Jason Mott won the National Book Award for his novel ‘Hell of a Book.’ The nonfiction prize went to Tiya Miles for ‘All That She Carried.’” Read more at New York Times
“This year’s Cy Young Award winners: Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers and Robbie Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: Jimmie Durham incorporated Native American imagery and materials into his sculptures. But Cherokee representatives challenged the authenticity of the ancestry he claimed. He died at 81.” Read more at New York Times
A lunar eclipse is framed within Turret Arch at Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, on Dec. 10, 2011. (Julie Jacobson/AP)
“Skywatchers on Thursday night will be treated to a near-total lunar eclipse as the full moon is plunged into the blood-red light cast by Earth’s shadow. The spectacle will be visible from all of North America, with the exception of eastern Greenland, including the entire Lower 48, Alaska and Hawaii, as well as parts of South America and Russia.
Though it’s technically not a total lunar eclipse, it’s about as close as one can get to totality without actually being there. At peak, 97 percent of the moon will be covered by the umbra, or the darkest part of Earth’s shadow. Only a sliver on the bottom left of the moon will remain faintly illuminated.
A striking element of Thursday night’s eclipse will be its duration — 3 hours, 28 minutes and 24 seconds, according to Space.com, which it says makes it the longest partial eclipse in 580 years.” Read more at Washington Post