What Saudi Arabians want from Antony Blinken, Biden's pick for secretary of state

On Jan. 20, the Biden administration will inherit a relationship with Saudi Arabia that is as troubled as it has ever been, and it will likely be up to Antony Blinken, the president-elect's pick for secretary of state, to help sort it out. Over the past four years, a combination of Saudi authoritarianism and American enablement has produced a toxic mix of repression at home and adventurism abroad. The brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Yemen and the crackdown on peaceful dissent and protest within Saudi Arabia are the direct result of a transactional American foreign policy that has turned a deaf ear to the voices of innocent vic...

Internal CDC report says racism is making COVID-19 deadlier for Black Americans 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fundamental problems of inequality and discrimination are putting Black Americans at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, and also making COVID-19 deadlier for them, according to an internal agency report obtained by Yahoo News. The CDC's “COVID-19 Science Update,” dated Dec. 4 and marked for “agency use only,” builds on previous work the agency has done on racial disparities, but is the starkest in terms of its conclusions about the causes of those disparities, providing a sweeping indictment of a health care and economic system that disadvantages Black Americans during the pandemic in myriad ways. “Unfortunately, discrimination, which includes racism, exists in systems meant to protect well-being or health,” the CDC report says.

Trump promised COVID-19 drug free for all Americans. His friends got it first.

While supplies of an experimental drug cocktail given emergency use authorization to treat the coronavirus remain in short supply in the United States, three associates of President Trump — who credited it with curing him when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October — apparently jumped to the front of the line to receive it. As part of the treatment he received at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in early October, Trump was given a monoclonal antibody cocktail made by Regeneron. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson also received the experimental treatment at Walter Reed, and also recovered.

More Inside a John Stefanidis–Designed Dreamy Escape on the Island of Patmos

Tasked with a California family's historic getaway on Patmos, John Stefanidis gives the once-neutral house a vibrant polychrome presence Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

US B-52H bombers fly to Middle East in mission to deter Iran

In a new show of military might, two American bomber aircraft flew from the United States to the Middle East on Thursday, in a round-trip mission that U.S. officials said covered a wide swath of the region and was a direct message of deterrence to Iran. The flight of the two massive B-52H Stratofortress bombers, the second such mission in less than a month, was designed to underscore America's continuing commitment to the Middle East even as President Donald Trump's administration withdraws thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The long-range heavy bombers, which are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, are a formidable sight and are flown less frequently in the Middle East than smaller combat aircraft, such as American fighter jets.

'Very low' rates of coronavirus in schools, British study finds

A study that analyzed school reopenings across the United Kingdom last spring and early summer found “very low” rates of infection, as well as a lack of major outbreaks, at all education levels. When there were outbreaks, they were small and tended to involve teachers or staffers bringing the coronavirus into schools from the outside community. In keeping with that finding, the study also warned that there was a “strong correlation” between school-based infections and the presence of the coronavirus in the surrounding community.

China says two Canadians held for two years on 'spying' accusations have been indicted and tried

China's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that two Canadians held for two years in a case linked to a Huawei executive have been indicted and put on trial, but gave no details. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been confined since December 10, 2018, just days after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the founder of the Chinese global communications equipment giant. China has said Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor were indicted June 19 by the Beijing prosecutor's office on "suspicion of spying for state secrets and intelligence."

Saudi crown prince's lawyer seeks dismissal of ex-spy chief case in U.S. court

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's lawyer has asked a U.S. court to dismiss a case filed by a former top-ranking Saudi intelligence official, claiming it has no jurisdiction over the prince, according to court documents viewed by Reuters. The filing rejects claims that Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, sent a hit squad to kill former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, and says the crown prince is immune from prosecution in the United States. Jabri, who currently lives in exile in Canada, in August filed a 107-page lawsuit in a U.S. court alleging the crown prince dispatched a hit squad to kill him in October 2018, but Canadian authorities foiled the attempt.

Despite Trump's venting and threats, Biden's win is sealed

Americans who don't wish to get caught up in the nitty gritty of Trump's attempts to undermine the election can take their cue from one of the many judges who have dismissed the complaints of his team or his allies that the voting or counting was corrupt. Related video: SCOTUS dismisses Trump's effort to overturn Pennsylvania results “This ship has sailed,” said U.S. District Judge Linda Parker in throwing out a lawsuit challenging Biden's win in Michigan this week. Not only has the ship sailed but it has reached safe harbor and dropped anchor.

The Democrats' Get-Out-of-Manhattan Project

Whatever happens with the hotly contested Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, the last several election cycles have laid bare the uphill battle Democrats have to win lasting control of the U.S. Senate and thus the ability to govern the country. It is to geographically rebalance the country by strategically moving Democrats out of their big blue oases and into states where their votes will translate better into national power. For years I've advocated adding states as one solution to the party's structural Senate deficit, but that requires first winning power in the chamber, with enough extra votes to pursue procedural escalation.

China revokes visa exemptions for U.S. diplomat passport holders visiting Hong Kong, Macau

China said on Thursday it would revoke visa exemption treatment for U.S. diplomatic passport holders visiting Hong Kong and Macau after the United States imposed financial sanctions and a travel ban on more than a dozen Chinese officials. Beijing will also implement reciprocal sanctions against some U.S. officials, members of Congress, personnel at non-governmental organisations, and their family members, over their "vile" behaviour on Hong Kong, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference. China urges the United States not to go further down this "dangerous and mistaken path", Hua added.

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  China restricts US official travel to Hong Kong

  Associated Press
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  China slaps restrictions on travel to Hong Kong by some U.S. officials

  NBC News

U.S. foreign policy veteran Susan Rice tapped for Biden domestic policy role

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden tapped Susan Rice, a former national security adviser with significant foreign policy expertise, for a domestic policy brief on Thursday, putting an emphasis on managerial experience in his new administration. A flurry of senior appointments underscored the former U.S. vice president's commitment to a diverse administration while rewarding longtime loyalists and veterans like himself of President Barack Obama's eight years in office. Biden's selection of Rice, 56, as his top domestic policy adviser and director of his Domestic Policy Council came as a surprise given her extensive background in foreign affairs.

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  Biden taps Susan Rice as domestic policy adviser, McDonough for VA

  Yahoo News Video
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  Biden taps Rice as domestic policy adviser, McDonough for VA

  Associated Press

Elon Musk's Starship prototype makes a big impact

US entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched the latest prototype of his Starship vehicle from Texas. Codenamed SN8, the uncrewed rocket lifted away from the Boca Chica R&D facility on what had been billed as a brief flight to 12.5km (41,000ft). The 50m-tall vehicle crashed on touchdown but Mr Musk was delighted with how much the test outing achieved.

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  The Morning After: SpaceX's explosive Starship test flight

  Engadget
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  SpaceX flies its Starship rocket to 40,000 feet, just misses the landing in explosive finale

  TechCrunch

The stormy, fiery year when climate disasters wouldn't stop

Nature struck relentlessly in 2020 with record-breaking and deadly weather- and climate-related disasters. With the most named storms in the Atlantic, the largest-ever area of California burned by wildfires, killer floods in Asia and Africa and a hot, melting Arctic, 2020 was more than a disastrous year with the pandemic. It was a year of disasters — and climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas was a big factor, scientists said.

Bahrain plans free shots, Saudi Arabia approves Pfizer jab

Bahrain has announced plans to give the public free coronavirus vaccines, as Saudi Arabia said it approved an inoculation by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech to fight the pandemic. The island nation of Bahrain, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, made the vaccine pledge in an announcement published Thursday by its state-run Bahrain News Agency. A safe vaccine will be provided free of charge to all citizens and residents within the kingdom,” the statement said, without elaborating on which vaccine it would offer.

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  Canada health regulator approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

  Associated Press
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  Canada approves first COVID-19 vaccine, expects inoculations next week

  Reuters

Why Trump supporters won't accept election results

No one expected Donald Trump and his supporters to lose the 2020 presidential election graciously, least of all those of us who thought he had a much better chance of winning it than public polling suggested. This is why, in one sense anyway, I think we should not put too much stock in surveys like this one, which suggests that only a quarter or so of Republicans "accept" the results of this year's election. Ever since Democrats and their allies in the media began using this phrase in the fall of 2016 in a bad-faith attempt to secure some kind of worthless pledge from Trump (they would ignore this apparently world-historic imperative by spending the next four years insisting that Trump was n...

Europe, U.S. should say 'no' to China's 'wolf-warrior' diplomacy - EU envoy

The European Union and the United States should work together to stand up to coercive Chinese diplomacy and coordinate with other countries in the region on the disputed South China Sea, the EU ambassador to China said on Thursday. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, due to take office on Jan. 20, has spoken of the need to revitalise alliances with like-minded democracies as a core source of strength in dealing with China. EU Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis, speaking at an energy forum in the Chinese capital, said the EU hoped to reach agreement with the new U.S. administration on policy towards China.

Mechanic: 'Everything perfect' before fatal WWII plane crash

The only surviving crew member of a World War II-era bomber that crashed in Connecticut last year, killing seven people, told investigators that “everything was perfect” before takeoff and he doesn't understand what went wrong, according to federal documents released Wednesday. Mitchell Melton was the mechanic aboard the four-engine, propeller-driven B-17G Flying Fortress bomber that crashed at Bradley International Airport north of Hartford on Oct. 2, 2019. The NTSB made documents in the investigation public on its website Wednesday, including a transcript of a nearly two-hour interview with Melton in November 2019.

Special Report-China launches 'gray-zone' warfare to subdue Taiwan

Beijing is conducting waves of threatening forays from the air while ratcheting up existing pressure tactics to erode Taiwan's will to resist, say current and former senior Taiwanese and U.S. military officers. The flights, they say, complement amphibious landing exercises, naval patrols, cyber attacks and diplomatic isolation. The risk of conflict is now at its highest level in decades.

Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

No. For a couple reasons, masks and social distancing will still be recommended for some time after people are vaccinated. To start, the first coronavirus vaccines require two shots; Pfizer's second dose comes three weeks after the first and Moderna's comes after four weeks. It's also not yet known whether the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines protect people from infection entirely, or just from symptoms.

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  Waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine? Don't get rid of your mask yet.

  Yahoo News
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  FDA advisory panel endorses Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine

  Yahoo News Video

Hunter Biden Is Under Investigation. Why Liberals Should Take Comfort

CNN this week had contacted Joe Biden's transition team for comment on a forthcoming report that federal prosecutors in Delaware were pursuing a criminal investigation into first son-in-waiting Hunter Biden. The Biden team told CNN they'd get them something. Then, on Wednesday, the campaign put out a statement from Hunter Biden confirming he had been told on Tuesday that he was, in fact, a subject of an investigation over his “tax affairs.

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  Hunter Biden Prosecutor Convicted A Fundraiser Who Talked Up His Joe Biden Ties

  HuffPost
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  Hunter Biden says feds investigating his taxes

  Reuters Videos

Greece to allow hair salons, bookstores reopen for Christmas

Greece said on Friday it will allow hair salons and bookstores to reopen during the Christmas season but keep most other retail shops shut, continuing most restrictions until Jan. 7 to help stem the spread of coronavirus. Schools, restaurants and courts will remain closed until Jan. 7, extending a lockdown the government imposed in November, its second this year, after an aggressive surge in COVID-19 infections. In a televised briefing, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said churches would open only for the Christmas and Epiphany masses on Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, with a limited number of worshippers.

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  Factbox-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

  Reuters
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  Bookshops, hairdressers in Greece to reopen for Christmas

  Associated Press