Senate votes to reverse Biden vaccine mandate for private companies  —  The Senate voted to block the Biden administration's mandate that large private companies require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  —  The measure passed under the Congressional Review Act, which requires only 51 votes instead of the typical 60 votes.

Scoop: Trump-backed Perdue says he wouldn't have certified Georgia 2020 results  —  Georgia gubernatorial candidate David Perdue wouldn't have signed the certification of the state's 2020 election results if he had been governor at the time, the former Senate Republican told Axios.

Mark Meadows sues House January 6 committee  —  Meadows says Covid-19 made Trump so weak he couldn't hold a briefcase  —  (CNN)Former Trump White House chief of Staff Mark Meadows is suing the House select committee investigating January 6 and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sanna Marin: Finland's PM sorry for clubbing after Covid contact  —  Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case.  —  Sanna Marin went on a night out in Helsinki on Saturday, hours after her foreign minister had tested positive.

Fox News to Light New Christmas Tree After Previous One Torched  —  Fox News Media announced on Wednesday that a new tree will be lit on Thursday evening after its original one was allegedly burned by an arsonist early Wednesday morning.  —  The event on Fox Square in New York will include network personalities, clergymen and others.

'It's just crazy': 12 major cities hit all-time homicide records  —  “It's worse than a war zone around here lately,” police official said.  —  At least 12 major U.S. cities have broken annual homicide records in 2021 — and there's still three weeks to go in the year.

Biden makes diplomatic concession to Russia with Nato talks plan  —  US president wants allies to discuss Moscow's ‘concerns’ in attempt to prevent invasion of Ukraine  —  Joe Biden has made a significant diplomatic concession to Moscow designed to prevent an invasion of Ukraine by signalling …

What Happened to American Conservatism?  —  I fell in love with conservatism in my 20s.  As a politics and crime reporter in Chicago, I often found myself around public-housing projects like Cabrini-Green and the Robert Taylor Homes, which had been built with the best of intentions but had become nightmares.

De Blasio Fought for 2 Years to Keep Ethics Warning Secret.  Here's Why.  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio was warned that he created an “appearance of coercion and improper access” by directly contacting donors who had business before the city.  —  When Bill de Blasio was first elected mayor of New York …

Low-profile heiress who ‘played a strong role’ in financing Jan. 6 rally is thrust into spotlight  —  Eight days before the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, a little-known Trump donor living thousands of miles away in the Tuscan countryside quietly wired a total of $650,000 to three organizations that helped stage and promote the event.

Hillary Clinton chokes up as she reads parts of the victory speech she hoped to deliver in 2016  —  For the first time, Hillary Clinton is sharing the speech she would have made if she had won the 2016 presidential election.  —  The former first lady and secretary of state grows emotional …

Biden to award three Medals of Honor for combat actions in Iraq, Afghanistan  —  The Biden administration is planning to award Medals of Honor to three U.S. soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to people familiar with the matter, a group that includes the first Black service member …

NC gerrymandering lawsuits delay 2022 election primary  —  North Carolina's 2022 primary election must be delayed — as gerrymandering lawsuits play out that could lead to redrawn districts — the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.  —  It's a win for the liberal voters and groups …

Hispanic Voters Now Evenly Split Between Parties, WSJ Poll Finds  —  Republicans have made rapid gains among a crucial voting demographic that has long favored Democrats  —  The nation's large and diverse group of Hispanic voters is showing signs of dividing its support between Democrats …

Pfizer and BioNTech Provide Update on Omicron Variant  — Preliminary laboratory studies demonstrate that three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine neutralize the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529 lineage) while two doses show significantly reduced neutralization titers

Five key takeaways from Jussie Smollett's trial  —  News that actor Jussie Smollett had been the victim of a vicious racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago on Jan. 29, 2019, quickly made national headlines.  —  Celebrities and politicians rallied behind the openly gay actor …

Former President Trump On Boris Johnson's Woes, Sidney Powell's Dough And More  —  Former President Trump joined me this morning:  —  Audio:  —  12-08hhs-trump  —  Transcript:  —  HH: I'm joined now by former president of the United States, Donald Trump.  Mr. President, good morning.

The Coronavirus Attacks Fat Tissue, Scientists Find  —  The research may help explain why people who are overweight and obese have been at higher risk of severe illness and death from Covid.  —  From the start of the pandemic, the coronavirus seemed to target people carrying extra pounds.

Abbott Leads O'Rourke By Double Digits In Texas Governor's Race, Quinnipiac University Texas Poll Finds; Texas-Mexico Border Dominates Issues For Voters  — mail_outline  —  In a head-to-head matchup in the race for governor of Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott leads Democratic …

California plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe overturned  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — With more than two dozen states poised to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court gives them the OK next year, California clinics and their allies in the state Legislature on Wednesday revealed a plan to make the state a …

The AP Interview: CDC chief says omicron mostly mild so far  —  NEW YORK (AP) — More than 40 people in the U.S. have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far, and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated, the chief of the CDC said Wednesday.

Believe it or not, Fox News once knew shame  —  It wasn't so very long ago that Fox News had some standards for what was unacceptable.  —  In 2008, a Fox host named E.D. Hill suggested that a playful fist bump between Barack and Michelle Obama looked like a “terrorist fist jab.”

Torrance police traded racist, homophobic texts.  It could jeopardize hundreds of cases  —  The caption read “hanging with the homies.”  —  The picture above it showed several Black men who had been lynched.  —  Another photo asked what someone should do if their girlfriend was having an affair with a Black man.

Inclusion Delusion: The Antisemitism of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff at Universities  —  Authors:  —  SUMMARY … Universities ostensibly employ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff to create more tolerant and welcoming environments for students from all backgrounds.

Youngkin pledges to pull Virginia from carbon market by executive order  —  Governor's authority to withdraw from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative disputed  —  Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin is pledging to use executive action to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Alliance …