“Three people are dead and eight more are seriously injured after a mass shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan. All three who were killed and most of the wounded were students. The suspect, a 15-year-old sophomore at the school, was taken into custody as police arrived on the scene. His parents have hired an attorney and have not let him talk to police, authorities said. The weapon recovered by law enforcement at the scene, a 9MM semi-automatic pistol, was bought Friday by suspect's father, authorities said. Investigators have a ‘tremendous amount of video footage’ to examine as they work to gather more information about the incident, and they are also looking at the suspect’s social media accounts.” Read more at CNN
A woman raises her hands in prayer as she joins other anti-abortion activists during a candlelight vigil organized by the Purple Sash Revolution outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 30, 2021 in Washington, D.C.Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
“The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in a case that could result in Roe v. Wade being overturned. The Mississippi law at issue bars most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a standard that violates legal precedent set by the 1973 decision. Several such laws have been enacted across the country recently with the aim of getting the Supreme Court to hear a direct challenge to Roe. A similar law in Texas that drew widespread condemnation was allowed to go into effect in September despite surprising skepticism from some conservative Supreme Court justices. That law is also before the court. While the high court’s decision on both these laws could curtail abortion access in several ways, conservative legislators have long tried to get Roe overturned altogether. By one estimate from the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute, 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortions if the precedent is overturned.” Read more at CNN
“Top US government officials are considering stricter testing requirements for everyone traveling to the US as concerns about the Omicron variant rise. These new requirements could include a Covid-19 test the day before a traveler’s flight and having all travelers -- including US citizens and permanent residents -- test again after getting home. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is working with vaccine manufacturers on contingency plans in case future coronavirus vaccines need to be modified to better fight new variants of the virus. One of the biggest concerns surrounding Omicron is the possibility of ‘immune escape,’ in which a variant is so mutated from other known strains that it may evade protection of vaccines and treatments.” Read more at CNN
“Dutch health officials discovered two cases of the new Omicron variant in the country dating back to Nov. 19 and Nov. 23, days before the variant's detection was announced by South African scientists. Go deeper.” Read more at Axios
“The CDC is advising against travel to Poland, Trinidad and Tobago, Niger and Papua New Guinea, regardless of vaccination status.” Read more at USA Today
“Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump’s onetime chief of staff, is now cooperating with the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Meadows is providing records and has agreed to appear for an initial interview, staving off a criminal contempt referral for defying a subpoena from the committee. The panel has tried to come down hard on Trump allies it's subpoenaed, some of whom, like Meadows and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, have tried to evade legal summons. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger spoke yesterday to the committee about his experience with Trump's 2020 election lies. During a now-infamous phone call in January, Trump pressed Raffensperger to ‘find’ the votes needed to overturn results showing Biden had won the state. Raffensperger refused.” Read more at CNN
“Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19 three days before his first debate against Joe Biden, the former president’s fourth and last chief of staff has revealed in a new book.
Mark Meadows also writes that though he knew each candidate was required ‘to test negative for the virus within seventy two hours of the start time … Nothing was going to stop [Trump] from going out there.’
Trump, Meadows says in the book, returned a negative result from a different test shortly after the positive.
Nonetheless, the stunning revelation of an unreported positive test follows a year of speculation about whether Trump, then 74 years old, had the potentially deadly virus when he faced Biden, 77, in Cleveland on 29 September – and what danger that might have presented.
Trump announced he had Covid on 2 October. The White House said he announced that result within an hour of receiving it. He went to hospital later that day.
Meadows’ memoir, The Chief’s Chief, will be published next week by All Seasons Press, a conservative outlet. The Guardian obtained a copy on Tuesday – the day Meadows reversed course and said he would cooperate with the House committee investigating the deadly Capitol attack of 6 January.” Read more at The Guardian
“CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has been suspended indefinitely after newly released documents revealed his role in helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, manage his sexual misconduct scandal. CNN said the new revelations ‘point to a greater level of involvement in his brother's efforts than we previously knew.’” Read more at NPR
“A federal appeals court in California on Tuesday upheld the state’s ban on large-capacity firearm magazines, reversing earlier rulings that had found the restriction unconstitutional and giving gun-control advocates a victory at a moment of uncertainty around the scope of Second Amendment rights.
In a 7-4 ruling, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the state’s prohibition on magazines that can carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition was a reasonable and minor restriction on gun rights that aimed to limit the carnage of mass shootings.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“SAN JOSE, Calif.—Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes conceded Tuesday that she has many regrets about how she responded to criticisms of her blood-testing company, as prosecutors questioned her directly for the first time since they charged her with criminal fraud more than three years ago.
The cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Leach marked a pivotal moment in Ms. Holmes’s monthslong trial, allowing the government to try to pick apart the narrative she has given to jurors during her time on the stand as a dedicated entrepreneur who tried to make her company succeed.
Four days of questioning by defense lawyers culminated in allegations made by Ms. Holmes on Monday that her former boyfriend and No. 2 executive at Theranos emotionally and sexually abused her for years, claims that Mr. Leach on Tuesday tried to counteract by showing loving communications between the two. He also elicited testimony from Ms. Holmes that she unsuccessfully tried to quash reporting by The Wall Street Journal that showed Theranos had problems with its technology.
Ms. Holmes is seeking to clear her name of 11 counts of fraud and conspiracy over alleged falsehoods she told to investors and patients about Theranos’s finger-stick blood-testing technology. After her testimony, her lawyers could call other witnesses to bolster her defense as the trial heads toward its conclusion and jurors weigh the evidence put before them.
Appearing poised and smiling occasionally while responding, Ms. Holmes on Tuesday repeatedly deflected Mr. Leach’s questions, saying his version of events didn’t align with hers or that she simply didn’t remember. Her composure crumbled as she was asked to revisit intimate text messages with her former boyfriend. Throughout, she agreed with Mr. Leach’s assertions that she was the ultimate leader of Theranos, with a controlling stake that allowed her to fire or hire anyone she pleased.
‘There were many things I wish I did differently,’ she testified.
Mr. Leach confronted Ms. Holmes with claims she made after the Journal’s reporting in 2015 that showed Theranos’s proprietary machines were unreliable and the company was covertly using commercial devices to run most of its blood tests.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The television host Dr. Mehmet Oz will run for Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican.” Read more at New York Times
“G.O.P. leaders continue to be silent as House Republicans publicly feudover anti-Muslim comments by the far-right member Lauren Boebert.” Read more at New York Times
“In the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, a woman testified that Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein befriended her when she was 14, and began abusing her soon after.” Read more at New York Times
“New York became the first U.S. city to open supervised sites where users can inject drugs.” Read more at New York Times
“New details have emerged about how live ammunition may have ended up on the set of the film ‘Rust,’ where star Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.” Read more at USA Today
Tiger Woods said that, if he can ever be healthy enough to play well enough, his hope would be to play a limited schedule.PHOTO: ERIC GAY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Tiger Woods cast serious doubt on his professional golf future in his first press conference since a life-threatening February car crash, saying that his ability to compete will never be the same after the devastating leg injuries he sustained in the wreck.
Woods, 45 years old, shot down notions of ever returning to play full-time. He said that, if he can ever be healthy enough to play well enough, his hope would be to play a limited schedule. Over nine months since the one-car collision in the Los Angeles area, he said even that remained a distant goal and far from a guarantee.
‘I have a long way to go to get to that point,’ Woods said at the Hero World Challenge, the tournament he hosts in the Bahamas. ‘Now, I haven’t decided whether I want to get to that point. I’ve got to get my leg to a point where that decision can be made.’
Woods’s comments raise questions about whether the most electrifying player in the sport’s history will ever be able to truly compete again after a career defined by 15 major championships, scandal and injury.
Woods—who said that his back and leg hurt even as he sat at the microphone—declined to go into additional detail about the circumstances of the Feb. 23 crash, instead referring to information found in the police report. He did say that amputating his leg was, at one point, ‘on the table,’ and that he was fortunate to not have a prosthesis.
‘I’m lucky to be alive, but also to have the limb,’ Woods said.
Woods was going faster than 80 miles per hour at the time of crash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office said in April, which was unsafe for the conditions of the 45 mph roadway. In the moments preceding the wreck, Woods had taken a Genesis GV80 SUV down a curvy hill near Los Angeles when his car hit the center median, the curb and then a tree before flipping multiple times and settling in brush, where emergency responders had to use tools to extricate him from the vehicle.
Authorities had said there was no evidence to suspect he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, there was no probable cause to get a warrant to draw blood and the primary concern was treating Woods’s serious injuries. Woods was not issued a citation for the speeding because there were no witnesses, and they would not base a citation off the event data recorder, sheriff Alex Villanueva said previously.
The crash left Woods in a mangled car, and when he was pried out, he could not stand under his own power. He was taken into surgery, and a statement posted to his Twitter account said he suffered comminuted open fractures, meaning there were breaks in multiple places, affecting the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones in his leg. The operation, to his lower right leg and ankle, involved inserting a rod into the tibia and screws and pins to stabilize his foot and ankle.
The accident raised questions not only about whether Woods’s leg would ever recover fully enough to allow him to play competitively again, but how it would affect his back. He had said before the crash that he had just undergone another back surgery—his fifth—and that he was still going through the mundane and laborious stages of rehab.
After prior operations, Woods often sounded hellbent on regaining his form after the types of injuries that can torpedo a golf career. On Tuesday, however, he said there were questions about not just his physical capacity to compete but his willpower to grind through his toughest rehab yet. He turns 46 years old on Dec. 30.
‘This one’s been much more difficult,’ Woods said.
‘A full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that—no, I don’t have any desire to do that,’ he added, noting that it wasn’t unrealistic to ramp up for a ‘few events a year’ at some point.
While he said he is now at a stage where he can pick up a golf club and play a hole of golf here and there, he conceded there is an enormous gap between that and being able to play competitively on tour against the best golfers, on the hardest courses and in the most difficult playing conditions. ” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens, 47, who made public safety a top issue, handily won a runoff election to become the next mayor, Axios Atlanta's Emma Hurt and Thomas Wheatley report.
Just a few months ago, Dickens was a longshot to replace Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who didn't seek a second term.
Dickens beat council president Felicia Moore 64% to 36%.
Dickens focused on "real bread and butter issues," rather than defunding police — a strategy that could be a template for other Democrats, according to Chris Huttman, Dickens' strategist.” Read more at Axios
“The central bank chairman said the Federal Reserve would consider ending bond purchases sooner than planned, which would open the door to raising interest rates to address inflation. Fed officials want to first stop buying bonds before raising rates. The Fed had approved plans in November to reduce their monthly bond purchases at a pace that, if left unchanged, would end them by next June. If officials decide next month to quicken the pace at which they reduce the purchases, they could conclude the program by March, leaving more flexibility to raise rates in the first half of next year. After Powell’s remarks, a Tuesday stock-market slide accelerated, with investors selling shares deemed likely to be affected by inflation.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“President Biden is considering Richard Cordray to be the Fed’s top banking regulator. If nominated and confirmed by the Senate, the attorney from Ohio would become the government’s most influential overseer of the American banking system.” Read more at Wall Street Journal'
“TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduras’ ruling party conceded defeat Tuesday in presidential elections held two days earlier, giving victory to leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro and easing fears of another contested vote and violent protests.
Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura, presidential candidate of the National Party, said in a statement that he had personally congratulated Castro, despite only about half the voting tallies being counted from Sunday’s election.
The former first lady had 53% of the votes and Asfura 34%, with 52% of the tallies counted, according to the National Electoral Council. It has 30 days from the election to declare a winner.” Read more at AP News
“The Biden administration, House and Senate Democrats, and even the German government have been engaged in a multi-pronged effort to stop Congress from imposing mandatory sanctions on a Kremlin-backed natural gas pipeline, Axios' Zachary Basu and Alayna Treene report.
Why it matters: President Biden's decision to let Nord Stream 2 proceed has put his allies in an uncomfortable bind.
Republicans have already blocked dozens of Biden's foreign-policy nominees. The dispute has threatened to derail an annual defense bill, being debated now, that Congress has passed every year for six decades.
The big picture: Democrats and Republicans have for years opposed Nord Stream 2, which would circumvent Ukrainian transit infrastructure and deliver Russian gas directly to Germany.
The White House argues the pipeline was already too close to completion to be blocked.
Ukraine views Nord Stream 2 as an existential threat, as it would remove one of the last deterrents the country has against a Russian invasion.
Between the lines: The White House and some Democrats accuse Republicans of using Nord Stream 2 to score domestic political points — including Sen. Ted Cruz's blockade of State Department nominees.
What to watch: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer finally agreed to hold a vote today on a Republican Nord Stream 2 amendment, posing a difficult test for Democrats who previously supported sanctions but are now hesitant to buck the administration. Keep reading.” Read more at Axios
“Grim forecast | The Taliban’s move to restrict women from working could cost Afghanistan's economy up to $1 billion, or 5% of GDP, the United Nations Development Programme said in a report today as the militant group seeks global help to avert a deepening crisis. The study paints a grim picture of an economy under huge strain with soaring inflation and an ongoing cash crunch.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Turkey’s interest rates will continue to fall, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday, as he called for an economy that thrives on local production and exports instead of depending on short-term foreign cash.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Ethiopia says its forces have recaptured a swathe of territory in the north of the country and gained the upper hand in a year-long civil war against fighters loyal to the dissident Tigray province.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Hong Kong students as young as six will be taught to love their motherland as the city overhauls its education system to create a generation of Chinese patriots. As Jenni Marsh reports, under the new rules issued yesterday, pupils should ‘correctly understand’ Chinese history, learn about the mainland’s constitution, culture and values, and respect its national symbols, including the flag.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Xi Jinping set the blueprint for a vast campaign of forcible assimilation against Uyghurs. Recently leaked documents show how the Chinese leader played a key role in directing the government’s crackdown against religious minorities in the country’s northwestern Xinjiang region, where Beijing has been accused of human-rights abuses.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Myanmar's military government has filed a new corruption charge against deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint, according to state-run media. Suu Kyi has faced nearly a dozen cases against her since she and her ruling National League for Democracy party were overthrown in a February military coup. Her lawyers and supporters consider the charges against her to be politically motivated. Suu Kyi has been held in detention at an undisclosed location as Myanmar has descended into violence and fear under the military junta's rule. Scores of protesters and political opponents have been arrested since the coup, and the military has even targeted medics attending to anti-junta groups.” Read more at CNN
“MOSCOW—Russia’s foreign ministry ordered U.S. Embassy staff who have been in Moscow for more than three years to leave the country by Jan. 31, in the latest round of tit-for-tat expulsions between Washington and Moscow.
Foreign ministry officials indicated that the move was in retaliation for Washington’s expulsion of more than 50 Russian diplomats, 27 of whom are scheduled to depart the U.S. with their families by Jan. 30, and an equal number who would leave by June 30, according to Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Zemmour steps in. Far-right pundit Eric Zemmour officially announced his candidacy for next year’s French presidential election on Tuesday, in a video assailing minority groups. Zemmour’s run comes amid falling public approval, as his poll numbers slip behind conservative leader Marine Le Pen following a brief surge. Zemmour must now garner the support of 500 mayors or local officials to make his candidacy valid under French electoral rules.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Tel Aviv has been ranked the world’s most expensive city to live in, jumping five places in the 2020 rankings to secure the top spot in this year’s Worldwide Cost of Living Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Israeli city led the list, which compares prices in U.S. dollars across 173 cities, in part due to the strength of the shekel against the dollar as well as increases in food and transport costs. Paris, last year’s joint leader along with Zurich and Hong Kong, came second. Syria’s capital, Damascus, was the cheapest on the list.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Baseball is about to go dark, perhaps for an entire, contentious winter. Come 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players' Association expires, and for the first time in nearly 30 years, that deadline will pass without the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA.) In response, MLB is expected to impose a lockout of players, tabling all offseason transactions until both sides can hammer out an agreement. The two sides are expected to meet again Wednesday but are highly skeptical that a deal can be struck before the deadline. USA TODAY Sports answers most significant questions facing owners, players and fans as the sides head back to the bargaining table.” Read more at USA Today
“Lives Lived: Philip Heymann served four presidents over six decades, helping prosecute Watergate and Abscam. He died at 89.” Read more at New York Times