Dow drops 800 points as new Covid variant sparks market sell-off  —  U.S. stock dropped on Friday on renewed Covid fears over a new variant found in South Africa.  —  The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 800 points, or more than 2%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite slid 1.4% and 0.9%, respectively.

Ukraine's Zelensky alleges Russia plotting coup against him for next week  —  KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that a group of Russian and Ukrainians is planning to stage a coup d'etat in Ukraine next month and that the plotters are trying to enlist the help …

Three Years Late, Israelis Finally Hear the Truth About Trump  —  Netanyahu's former Mossad chief, defense minister and IDF commander are speaking out on Trump's departure from the Iran deal, years after the then-prime minister celebrated it  —  When Donald Trump decided to withdraw …

Texas Abortion Law Complicates Care for Risky Pregnancies  —  Doctors in Texas say they cannot head off life-threatening medical crises in pregnant women if abortions cannot be offered or even discussed.  —  A few weeks after Texas adopted the most restrictive abortion law in the nation …

Calida blocks Maria Ressa's travel for Nobel Prize: She's a ‘flight risk’  —  Calling the Rappler CEO a “flight risk,” Solicitor General Jose Calida has filed an opposition with the Court of Appeals (CA) seeking to bar Maria Ressa from traveling to Oslo, Norway, in December to personally receive her Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump pulls strings behind the scenes to help loyal 2022 candidates  —  Trump endorses Rep. Mo Brooks for Alabama Senate seat  —  (CNN)Former President Donald Trump has taken his involvement in 2022 Republican primaries to a new level as he works to permanently mold the GOP in his image.

QAnon's ‘Queen of Canada’ Calls for Followers to ‘Kill’ People Vaccinating Children  —  QAnon influencer Romana Didulo told her 70,000 followers that “duck-hunting season is open” and by ducks she means healthcare workers, politicians, and journalists.  —  Mack Lamoureux  —  TORONTO, CA

Renters strike back as cities cap price hikes by landlords  —  As the cost of housing soars, one old idea is starting to get traction with voters: rent control.  —  Voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul this month approved ballot initiatives to enable the Twin Cities to cap rent increases.

Stephen K. Bannon files motion to request all documents in court case be made public  —  Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser, has filed an opposition to the U.S. district court's standard protective order for discovery, which prohibits either side from releasing documents or evidence publicly.

Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics Provide Update on Results from MOVe-OUT Study of Molnupiravir, an Investigational Oral Antiviral Medicine, in At Risk Adults With Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19  —  KENILWORTH, N.J. & MIAMI—(BUSINESS WIRE)— Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada …

Biden's Covid Death Milestone  —  More Americans have died of the virus in 2021 than in all of 2020.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  President Biden may not recall what he said during a 2020 campaign debate last fall, but Americans should: “Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths …