Next pandemic could be more lethal than COVID, vaccine creator says

LONDON (Reuters) -Future pandemics could be even more lethal than COVID-19 so the lessons learned from the outbreak must not be squandered and the world should ensure it is prepared for the next viral onslaught, one of the creators of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine said. The novel coronavirus has killed 5.26 million people across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, wiped out trillions of dollars in economic output and turned life upside down for billions of people. Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said the world should make sure it is better prepared for the next virus.

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  Next pandemic could be more lethal than Covid, warns Oxford vaccine creator

  The Independent
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  Covid latest news: Next pandemic could be 'more lethal', warns scientist behind the Oxford jab

  The Telegraph

Reality Winner says she's "not a traitor" and NSA leak was a "service to the American people"

Former National Security Agency contractor Reality Winner told CBS' "60 Minutes" she's not a traitor and acted in "service to the American people" when she leaked classified documents on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Why it matters The interview broadcast Sunday was the Air Force veteran's first since her release from prison last June for leaking a classified report after being prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Winner was arrested in 2017 and sentenced in 2018 to five years in prison for the leak following her guilty plea — the longest anyone has received for the federal crime of leaking classified information to the press.

US Embassy in Tokyo warns of 'suspected racial profiling' by Japanese police

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo issued a tweet on Sunday warning that foreigners were being stopped by Japanese police in "suspected racial profiling incidents." "U.S. citizens should carry proof of immigration and request consular notification if detained," it added. The U.S. Embassy has received reports of foreigners stopped and searched by Japanese police in suspected racial profiling incidents.

U.S. congressman posts family Christmas picture with guns, days after school shooting

A U.S. congressman on Saturday posted a Christmas picture of himself and what appeared to be his family, smiling and posing with an assortment of guns, just days after four teenagers were killed in a shooting at a Michigan high school. Ethan Crumbley, 15, on Tuesday carried out the deadliest U.S. school shooting this year, the latest in a decades-long series of mass shootings at U.S. schools. Massie, who represents a solidly Republican district, posted the picture of himself and six others holding firearms resembling an M60 machine gun, AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Thompson submachine gun.

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  U.S. congressman posts family picture with guns, days after school shooting

  Yahoo News Video
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  House Republican posts photo of his family holding guns days after Michigan school shooting

  NBC News

Was a young girl adopted from Russia capable of murder?

Troy Roberts: That's why you have to get help. Dr. Brian Kennedy: She is a risk to the family members. Dr. Brian Kennedy was one of the psychiatrists who saw Caralee.

Japan's military, among world's strongest, looks to build

Dozens of tanks and soldiers fired explosives and machine guns in drills Monday on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, a main stronghold for a nation that is perhaps the world's least-known military powerhouse. Just across the sea from rival Russia, Japan opened up its humbly named Self Defense Force's firing exercises to the media in a display of public firepower that coincides with a recent escalation of Chinese and Russian military moves around Japanese territory. The drills, which foreign journalists rarely have a chance to witness, will continue for nine days and include about 1,300 Ground Self Defense Force troops.

New Information Emerges in Report Detailing Deaths of Calif. Family of 3 Who Died on Hiking Trip

The family was first reported missing on Aug. 16 after their babysitter found the home empty, as PEOPLE previously reported. The Chronicle reports that the babysitter was the last person to see the family alive on the afternoon of Aug. 13 after cleaning their house. The unidentified woman's final communication with Chung came later that evening, per the report, when she received a text from the mother featuring a video of Miju starting to walk.

Omicron means it’s time to switch to N95 masks

At the moment, delta—which is more contagious than previous variants—is still the prevailing variant around the world, and with omicron increasing and winter underway in the northern hemisphere, it's again time to mask up properly. In other words, you might want to put away your cloth masks and turn to N95. What is the best type of mask?

Turning outrage into power: How far right is changing GOP

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appears to have settled on a strategy to deal with a handful of Republican lawmakers who have stirred outrage with violent, racist and sometimes Islamophobic comments. The path to power for Republicans in Congress is now rooted in the capacity to generate outrage. The alarming language, and the fundraising haul it increasingly produces, is another example of how Donald Trump, the former president, has left his mark on politics, changing the way Republicans rise to influence and authority.

White Supremacists Stage Bizarro Rally in Downtown D.C., Find Themselves Stranded

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A group of white supremacists stormed through downtown Washington, D.C. on Saturday evening, bearing American flags and mildly menacing plastic shields while marching to the beat of a snare drum down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But after chanting aggressively about their plans to “reclaim America,” their intended show of force stalled spectacularly when they lost their ride. While the group had marched through the city with threatening chants about their plan to “reclaim America,” by the end of the night it was not even clear how they intended to reclaim their U-Haul.

3D-printed suicide pods are now legal in Switzerland

Compared to other methods, Sarco provides a peaceful death without using controlled substances, according to Swiss Info. Dr. Philip Nitschke estimates the Sarco capsule should be ready for use in Switzerland in 2022. "Sarco" machines – 3D-printed capsules designed for use in assisted suicide – have passed a legal review and can now operate in Switzerland, Swiss Info reported.

COVID outbreak on cruise ship approaching New Orleans

Ten people aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship approaching New Orleans have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Saturday night. The Norwegian Breakaway had departed New Orleans on Nov. 28 and is due to return this weekend, the Louisiana Department of Health said in a news release. Over the past week, the ship made stops in Belize, Honduras and Mexico.

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  COVID cases found on Norwegian Cruise ship returning to New Orleans

  Reuters
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  Ten COVID-19 cases were detected on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship as it headed to port in New Orleans

  Business Insider

People Are Sharing Things That Are Illegal, But Aren't Ethically Wrong And Some Are Controversial

On Friday, Reddit user u/bleachspot asked, "What is something that is illegal but isn't wrong ethically?" People had some incredibly interesting responses. Here's what people shared: 1.

Armed robbers break into Palisades home during holiday party

An outdoor holiday party in the Pacific Palisades came to a crashing halt Friday night when two armed robbers broke into the residence and stripped guests of jewelry, phones and a watch, according to the homeowners. The robbery happened on the 1200 block of Rimmer Avenue at around 7:40 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said. The victims of the robbery, however, were quite shaken, he said.

Man accused of trying to intimidate judge in Potter trial

A Minneapolis man has been charged with trying to intimidate the judge presiding over the manslaughter trial of the former officer charged in Daunte Wright's death. The Star Tribune reports Cortez A. Rice was charged last week with tampering with a judicial officer, a felony. Rice allegedly went into the Loring Park condominium building where he thought Judge Regina Chu lived and made comments meant to intimidate her into allowing broadcast coverage of the trial of former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kimberly Potter, who is charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Wright, 20, in April.

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  Jury to hear opening statements in Potter case this week

  Associated Press
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  Protester charged with harassing judge in trial of police officer who killed Daunte Wright

  The Independent

Cuomo ‘Livid’ After Shock Firing by CNN

CNN fired star primetime anchor Chris Cuomo on Saturday after the network said “new information” emerged on the extent of his involvement with his brother's battle against sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo is “livid” at his termination and in talks with lawyers, a person familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast. The network had announced his suspension just four days earlier, on Tuesday, and by Saturday the investigation had uncovered “additional information” and the Cuomo Prime Time host was swiftly kicked to the curb.

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  Chris Cuomo's spokesman says sexual misconduct allegation is 'not true' following anchor's CNN firing

  Yahoo TV
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  Chris Cuomo officially terminated from CNN following investigation

  Yahoo Celebrity

A man who tested positive for Omicron variant says 15 of his friends who joined him at a New York anime convention also have COVID-19

A man who tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant says 15 of his friends are also sick. The man and a group of 30 people attended an anime convention in New York City last month. It's unclear if his friends also have the Omicron variant, but health officials are investigating.

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  Nepal detects first two cases of Omicron variant - health ministry

  Reuters
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  Omicron variant discovered in Wisconsin

  WISN - Milwaukee Videos

COVID-19 curbs China's power in Indo-Pacific, risks of war 'significant' - report

The coronavirus pandemic has weakened China's power in the Indo-Pacific, and the region's deepening security uncertainties present a "significant" risk of war, the Lowy Institute said in a report on Sunday. U.S. allies in the region and key balancing powers such as India have never been more dependent on American capacity and willingness to sustain a military and strategic counterweight in response to China's rise, said the Sydney-based foreign policy think tank. At the same time, Beijing has sought to dissuade Southeast Asian countries from joining the U.S. coalition, while upgrading its military exchanges with Russia and Pakistan as well as North Korea and creating as such a formidable trio of China-aligned nuclear-armed powers in the region.

Fauci says early reports about omicron variant are encouraging

U.S. health officials said Sunday that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. President Joe Biden's chief medial adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN's “State of the Union” that scientists need more information before drawing conclusion's about omicron's severity. Reports from South Africa, where it emerged and is becoming the dominant strain, suggest that hospitalization rates have not increased alarmingly.

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  Omicron variant found in nearly one-third of U.S. states

  Reuters
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  Fauci: U.S. reviewing its South African travel ban and hopes to lift it soon

  Politico

Elderly Couple Claims They Were Removed From American Airlines Flight Over Prayer Shawl

A Jewish couple says they were removed from an American Airlines flight after they refused to put their religious items on them floor. According New York Post, the incident took place on Flight 322 back in August, when Roberto and Elana Birman were returning to their Brooklyn home from Miami. Prior to takeoff, a flight attendant reportedly began checking the overhead bins when she came across Roberto's small Tallit bag, which contained his prayer book and shawl.

2 Louisiana insurance companies fail after Hurricane Ida

Insurance companies operating in Louisiana will be charged at least $100 million to pay the claims of two failed property insurers who went belly up in Hurricane Ida's aftermath. But the cost of dealing with the insolvent insurers ultimately will fall on the state after companies recoup the dollars through a series of tax credits. The Advocate reports that the board of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association — a state-sponsored safety net for policyholders -- voted for the first time since 2004 to charge insurers 1% of their net written premiums to help fill its coffers.

After Chicago activist is barred from courthouse during Smollett trial, judge issues statement saying he didn’t intend to ban anyone

A Chicago activist and writer was barred from the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse for two days during the Jussie Smollett trial last week. The judge issued a statement late Friday evening within an hour of a Tribune report that activist and rap artist Bella BAHHS (Black Ancestors Here Healing Society) had been told Tuesday she was not allowed inside the courtroom or the courthouse. Cook County Judge James Linn contacted the newspaper through a spokeswoman and clarified his position in an email.

OU fraternity suspended, sorority disciplined as investigations continue

Delta Upsilon fraternity has been placed on emergency suspension, and Delta Gamma sorority is now on limited status, as first reported Friday by the school's newspaper, the OU Daily. The Delta Upsilon and Delta Gamma international offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. OU Fraternity and Sorority Programs and Services and the Office of Student Conduct are conducting separate investigations into the Greek chapters.

Russia sends new tanks to base in Tajikistan, practices missile defence

Russia said on Monday it was reinforcing its military base in Tajikistan with 30 new tanks and that its forces at the facility had carried out exercises with missile defence systems, highlighting Moscow's concern about turmoil in Afghanistan. The possibility of Islamist militants in Afghanistan infiltrating Tajikistan and other former Soviet republics in Central Asia is a worry for Moscow, which views the region as a defensive buffer to its south. Russian forces on Monday practiced repelling an enemy aerial attack on military facilities using its S-300PS systems, the Interfax news agency cited the Defence Ministry as saying.