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1. Covid-19
Almost two and a half years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most contagious and transmissible variant to date has arrived. The latest version of the shape-shifting BA.5 variant, an offshoot of Omicron, is causing a surge in cases around the world – showing how the virus has evolved and can evade immunity from previous Covid-19 vaccines. In the US, BA.5 accounted for 65% of new infections last week, according to the CDC. The variant is also gaining ground in China, raising fears that major cities there may soon reintroduce strict lockdown measures that have recently been lifted. As for managing the new wave, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, is advising Americans aged 50 and older to get second booster shots. US health officials are urgently working on a plan to give all adults a second Covid-19 refresher, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday.
2. Biden in Israel
President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday to begin his four-day visit to the Middle East. It is his first visit to the region since becoming President. Biden was received at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with whom he will meet today. Ahead of the trip, US officials have been working to deepen Israeli-Arab security coordination and broker agreements that will bring Israel and Saudi Arabia — which have no diplomatic ties — closer to normalization. Meanwhile, many Palestinians are pessimistic about the president’s visit because they appear unwilling to pressure Israel over continued West Bank settlement expansion and other key issues.
January 3rd 6th
Former President Donald Trump tried to call a witness to speak to the House Special Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The witness, a White House aide, was not someone who routinely communicated with the former president and “refused to answer or answer his call,” instead alerting his attorney. “We will make very serious efforts to influence witness testimony,” Vice Chair Liz Cheney said during Tuesday’s committee hearing, adding that the information was shared with the Justice Department. This isn’t the first time the committee has raised concerns about a pattern of possible witness manipulation and intimidation by Trump and other allies in his camp.
4. Va
Search efforts continue today for more than 40 people who remain missing after severe flooding that engulfed a rural Virginia county, ripped homes off their foundations and damaged roads and bridges across the region. Buchanan County in western Virginia flooded with more than 6 inches of water in a matter of hours Wednesday, causing widespread flooding and road closures. To aid the response, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency to help with recovery efforts. The storm was part of several that lingered over the county as well as the surrounding region — including Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia — Tuesday night.
5. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has descended into chaos and its president has fled to Singapore as anger mounts in his home country over his refusal to officially step down. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in the Maldives on Wednesday after fleeing Sri Lanka – the same day he announced his resignation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Acting President during his absence. But to date, no formal letter of resignation has been received by the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, raising questions about the intentions of the leader, who appears to have been exiled himself. Last weekend’s protests were among the most dramatic yet witnessed as people set fire to Wickremesinghe’s home and swam in Rajapaksa’s private pool. Many protesters have vowed to continue demonstrating until both men resign.
BROWSE BREAKFAST
NASA released more images of stars, galaxies and an exoplanet
After decades of waiting, the world is finally able to see the deepest, sharpest images of our Universe captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Netflix comes with ads
Nobody likes the “A” word… but if you can stand a few ads, a cheaper Netflix tier is currently in the works.
Chris Hemsworth quit eating meat before filming a kiss with his vegan co-star
This kind gesture helped vegan actress Natalie Portman calm down while filming a kissing scene for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Ryan Gosling brings major ‘Ken-ergy’ to upcoming ‘Barbie’ movie
The highly anticipated Barbie movie won’t be released until next year, but fans are already raving about Gosling’s Ken doll character.
The world’s best airlines for 2022, rated by AirlineRatings.com
We may be in the midst of a chaotic travel season, but some airlines are flying beyond industry challenges. Check out the new list here.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$114 billion
This is Bill Gates’ estimated net worth, which makes him the fourth richest person in the world – but he doesn’t intend to rank that high forever. On Wednesday, the Microsoft co-founder said he wanted to “go down and eventually disappear from the list of the world’s richest people” because he “felt obligated to give his resources back to society.” On the same day, Gates transferred $20 billion of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest philanthropies in the world. The foundation plans to increase its disbursements from nearly $6 billion to $9 billion a year by 2026.
THE TODAY QUOTE
“Today (Joshua) Schulte was convicted of one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history.”
– US Attorney Damian Williams, after former CIA operative Joshua Schulte was convicted on Wednesday of the biggest leak of classified data in the agency’s history. Schulte, who had worked as a computer engineer at the CIA, stole cyber tools in 2016 and submitted the secret data to WikiLeaks, according to court documents. Schulte had access to “some of the most valuable cyber intelligence-gathering tools in the country used to counter terrorist organizations,” Willams said, adding that those tools are now essentially useless.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Did someone say free fries?
National French Frie Day (which apparently is real) was Wednesday, but some of America’s biggest fast food chains are giving away free fries for the rest of the week! To celebrate, here’s a video showing the many different ways fries are enjoyed around the world. (click here to view)