The Hill Articles: December 30, 2021

Biden says Chile ‘powerful example’ for world in first call with president-elect State Dept warns Americans traveling abroad to ‘make contingency plans’ Omicron wave delays UN nuclear treaty conference Amtrak scales back schedule amid spike in COVID-19 among employees Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against former top Saudi intel official Colorado governor cuts 100 years off sentence for truck driver in fatal crash FAA warns of continued flight delays amid rising COVID-19 cases Pelosi announces series of events to mark Jan. 6 anniversary Overnight Health Care — Omicron puts pinch on vaccine mandates Colorado governor pardons 1,351 people for minor marijuana crimes Oklahoma National Guard says unvaccinated airmen can’t participate in drills Former senior CNN producer under investigation in Virginia Health data suggests South Africa’s Omicron peak has passed with no major spike in deaths Biden tells Putin US will respond ‘decisively’ if Russia invades Ukraine Pentagon streamlines process for requesting National Guard in DC Energy & Environment — The biggest climate news of 2021 Overnight Defense & National Security — The next fight for military justice Warren Buffett rejects Sanders’ request to intervene amid union strike Hillicon Valley — Tech’s big year Omicron puts pinch on Biden vaccine mandate efforts NASCAR’s Brandon Brown to be sponsored by LGBcoin in 2022 season On the Money — Gas price projections problematic for Biden Biden urges Supreme Court to maintain workplace vaccine mandate NFL executive lauds ‘historic progress’ in 2021 minority hiring Two Colorado cities evacuated as wildfires burn hundreds of homes Germany powering down three nuclear plants in shift to renewables Reid memorial set for Jan. 8 in Las Vegas Federalist editor sees little impact from Maxwell verdict on Prince Andrew case Thiel taps former Austrian chancellor as consultant despite criminal probe Ditch the 9-to-5 and start your own online business with this on-sale Amazon FBA bundle Equilibrium/Sustainability — Planned fires may create more carbon storage Virginia AG sues town where Army officer was pepper sprayed during traffic stop UConn settles Title IX lawsuit, agrees to keep women’s rowing program at least five years Idaho sheriff must surrender guns amid probe into incident with church youth group China bans tattoos for national soccer players to set ‘good example for society’ BBC faces blowback after Dershowitz appears as Maxwell trial analyst Matt Taibbi: School closures, not critical race theory, was primary issue for parents in Virginia election Briahna Joy Gray discusses Harris’s declining approval numbers Capitol Police officer says officers worry that Jan. 6 could become an ‘every four year thing’ Publix grocery store chain to start offering paid parental leave Five big climate change stories from 2021 CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine rarely caused serious problems in kids aged 5 to 11 Holidays and omicron: What is safe to do? 10,000 people have been waiting for these doughnuts Jan. 6 panel urges Supreme Court to deny Trump bid to shield records Clinton: ‘It is a time for some careful thinking about what wins elections’ South Korea ‘effectively’ reaches agreement with US to end Korean war Illinois lt. governor tests positive for coronavirus Five takeaways from the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict Israel approves fourth coronavirus vaccine dose for most vulnerable Study finds nearly all children seriously ill with COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated Denver shooter published books describing similar attacks, naming two victims Rep. Mike Turner to replace Nunes in top House Intel spot Five important LGBTQ+ stories of 2021 Jury finds pharmaceutical company liable for New York opioid crisis Fauci: Omicron wave will peak ‘probably by the end of January’ Virginia officials announce plan to give Confederate statues to Black History Museum Democrats’ selective hearing on law and order issues puts everyone at risk CDC says to avoid cruise ships regardless of vaccine status Virginia health department, health care association urge people with mild COVID-19 cases avoid ER US ‘concerned’ over Iran rocket launch Wuhan doctor who warned about coronavirus honored on 2-year anniversary Year that broke the recall? Why COVID led to recalls flopping nationwide Senate GOP introduces resolution to nix Biden health worker vaccine mandate Australia easing isolation rules amid omicron surge Employee pension plans urgently need guidelines, not more bailouts Michigan says it won’t adopt new CDC guidelines without ‘additional information’ Tiger shot and killed after severely injuring man at Florida zoo Cook Report projects GOP as clear favorite to win House majority Tesla recalls nearly 500K US vehicles over safety issues More than 200 Marines separated for refusing COVID-19 vaccine Unvaccinated NBA star now practicing with team, could play in games next week FDA expected to authorize Pfizer boosters for ages 12 to 15: report Request and share passwords and sensitive information with ease with a subscription to this online service ‘Let’s go Brandon’: The intersection of humor and reality Former Afghan president says he had no choice but to flee Kabul as Taliban closed in ‘Psycho’ squirrel terrorizes small town over Christmas JetBlue to cancel over 1,200 flights into mid-January amid COVID-19 spike Chinese officials promise groceries for residents under strict lockdown GOP candidate Keeney drops out of race for Spanberger seat after redistricting Best and worst crisis management in 2021 The ‘charismatic’ tequila fish, once extinct in the wild, swims freely once again De Blasio says Times Square celebration ‘moving forward’ despite omicron surge Top Russian tennis player tests positive for COVID-19, Australian Open status in doubt Democrats should be courting Romney, not Manchin Amazon updates AI after Alexa tells 10-year-old to try ‘penny challenge’ Rising: December 30, 2021 Michigan teacher isolates in plane bathroom after positive COVID-19 test midflight US condemns ‘unjust’ media arrests in Hong Kong Mexico approves use of three-dose Cuban COVID-19 vaccine Nearly three-quarters of GOP doubt legitimacy of Biden’s win: poll Hong Kong police charge two former pro-democracy editors with sedition, deny bail If there’s ‘no federal solution’ to COVID, will Biden end the vaccine mandate? $4 million worth of heroin seized by US Navy in Arabian Sea A truly ‘patriotic education’ requires critical analysis of US history Fauci calls mental health a ‘very important and difficult’ part of pandemic GOP Rhode Island state rep facing backlash after saying she lost ‘black friend’ to critical race theory US unemployment claims drop to 198,000 Fauci says COVID-19 test availability will ‘greatly improve in January’ Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial takes break for new year The 5 most significant hits to our legal system in 2021 Las Vegas moves forward with New Year’s Eve plans despite omicron surge Tiger shot and killed at Florida zoo after biting man’s arm Fauci: ‘Seriously ill,’ unvaccinated children in hospitals was ‘avoidable’ Fauci defends new CDC isolation guidelines A surgical approach to strengthening our health systems  Johnson & Johnson booster offers strong protection against omicron, study finds Putin’s Ukraine delusions threaten Russians The youth mental health crisis is real, but teachers can’t solve it alone Trump fires up vaccine tensions Each state’s population center, visualized Get a jump on your NYE resolution with these top picks Rising gas price projections complicate Biden’s horizons Defense bill sets up next fight over military justice  How to pick the best tablet for you (or somebody else) We asked our cleaning expert how to restart, refresh in the new year The top political books of 2021