December 2021

Data indicate omicron milder, better at evading vaccines

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The omicron variant appears to cause less severe disease than previous versions of the coronavirus, and the Pfizer vaccine seems to offer less defense against infection from it but still good protection from hospitalization, according to an analysis of data from South Africa, where the new variant is driving a surge in infections.

Insurer agrees to $800M settlement in Boy Scouts bankruptcy

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Attorneys in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy case have reached a tentative settlement under which one of the organization’s largest insurers would contribute $800 million into a fund for victims of child sexual abuse.

House debates on holding Meadows in contempt in Jan. 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House began debate Tuesday on recommending criminal contempt charges against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, after he said he would no longer cooperate with the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection.

Autopsy: Severe brain trauma in ex-NFL player who shot 6

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — An autopsy revealed unusually severe brain disease in the frontal lobe of the former NFL player accused of fatally shooting six people in Rock Hill, South Carolina before killing himself in April, authorities announced Tuesday.

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Thousands without heat, water after tornadoes kill dozens

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Residents of Kentucky counties where tornadoes killed dozens of people could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer, state officials warned Monday, as the toll of damage and deaths came into clearer focus in five states slammed by the swarm of twisters.

Anne Rice, who breathed new life into vampires, dies at 80

NEW YORK (AP) — Anne Rice, the novelist whose lush, best-selling gothic tales, including “Interview With the Vampire,” reinvented the blood-drinking immortals as tragic antiheroes, has died. She was 80.

Rice died late Saturday due to complications from a stroke, her son Christopher Rice announced on her Facebook page and his Twitter page.

“As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions,” Christopher Rice, also an author, wrote. “In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage.”

Stocks pull back from records, weighed down by tech, energy

(AP) — Technology and energy companies helped pull stocks lower on Wall Street Monday, a downbeat start to the week following the market’s best weekly gain since February.

The S&P 500 fell 0.9 percent, giving back some of its gains after the benchmark index climbed to an alltime high Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.9 percent, while the techheavy Nasdaq composite slid 1.4 percent.

Small-company stocks fared worse than the broader market in a signal that investors are concerned about economic growth. The Russell 2000 shed 1.4 percent.

WH aims to restore faith in gov’t by improving services

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday aimed at rebuilding the public’s trust in government by making it easier to do things like renew passports, apply for Social Security benefits and get aid after natural disasters.

The idea is to put the public and customer service at the center of federal operations, saving time, energy, frustration and potentially money by offering better and more efficient services for the millions of routine interactions people have with the government.

Japanese tourist says space trip ‘amazing’

MOSCOW (AP) — A Japanese space tourist on Monday rejected criticism from those who questioned his decision to pay a fortune for a trip to the International Space Station, saying the “amazing” experience was worth it.

Speaking to The Associated Press in a live interview from the orbiting space outpost, billionaire fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa said even though he had imagined what his mission would be like before the flight, he was struck by the reality of space travel.