Harry Reid, former Senate majority leader and Democratic kingmaker, dies at 82  —  Harry Reid, who rose from abject poverty in rural Nevada to become one of the most influential state and national leaders, died on Tuesday, sources confirmed to The Nevada Independent.  He was 82.

Omicron Is Not More Severe for Children, Despite Rising Hospitalizations  —  More children are being treated for Covid, but a combination of factors, including low vaccination rates, most likely explains the increase.  —  The latest coronavirus surge sweeping the United States …

Hong Kong Police Arrest Six Linked to Pro-Democracy News Site  —  Six current or former senior staff members of Stand News were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to publish seditious material.  More than 200 officers raided the news site's headquarters.  —  HONG KONG — The Hong Kong police …

White House, Jan. 6 committee agree to shield some documents  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol has agreed to defer its attempt to get hundreds of pages of records from the Trump administration, holding off at the request of the Biden White House.

Michigan's redistricting commission adopts final congressional map for the next decade  —  Clara Hendrickson Todd SpanglerDetroit Free Press  —  Michigan's redistricting commission voted to adopt new congressional districts Tuesday, creating political boundaries for the state's 13 U.S. House districts for the next decade.

Worries that omicron surge could lead to breakdown in essential services spurred new quarantine, isolation rules  —  Health officials worried the volume of expected infections could result in tens of thousands of Americans unable to work.  —  Health officials' recommendation this week …

US shows China its hand on strategic value of ‘unsinkable’ Taiwan  —  Washington's clear statement of island's regional security role part of tougher stance towards Beijing  —  In June 1950 General Douglas MacArthur, the commander of US forces in Asia-Pacific, urged President Harry Truman …

Seriously, Upgrade Your Face Mask  —  Omicron is everywhere.  Dr. Abraar Karan explains why cloth masks don't cut it anymore.  —  We're committed to keeping our readers informed. … Throughout the pandemic, wearing a face mask has been one of the best ways that anyone can easily reduce their risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

Judge Says New York Times Can Retain Project Veritas Memos, for Now  —  A New York appeals court said the paper did not need to immediately give up or destroy documents related to the conservative group.  The paper is still prevented from publishing certain documents.

Trump warns Alaska GOP governor he'll revoke endorsement if he backs Murkowski  —  Former President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's (R) reelection bid, but only on the condition that Dunleavy doesn't back Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in 2022.

Covid: US reports record infections as Europe's Omicron cases also soar  —  The US and several European countries have reported their highest daily rises in Covid cases since the pandemic began, as the Omicron variant spreads.  —  More than 440,000 new cases were recorded in the US on Monday, health officials said.

Fox News Star Was Up for ‘The View’ Gig Until She Refused to Get Vaccine  —  Lisa Marie Boothe interviewed to replace Meghan McCain as the talk show's in-house conservative.  But conversations ended when she publicly refused to get any vaccines. … The View's already difficult path …

Toplines and Crosstabs December 2021 National Poll: Presidential Election & Jan 6th Insurrection at the US Capitol  —  One Year Later, New UMass Amherst Poll Finds Continued National Political Division Over the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.  —  With 71% of Republicans viewing Joe Biden's victory …

Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny  —  Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant after it “challenged” a 10-year-old girl to touch a coin to the prongs of a half-inserted plug.  —  The suggestion came after the girl asked Alexa for a “challenge to do”.

Biden finishes 2021 with most confirmed judicial picks since Reagan  —  President Joe Biden is wrapping up 2021 with more judges confirmed to the federal bench than any first-year president since Ronald Reagan, and experts say a growing list of judicial vacancies could allow him to appoint even more in 2022.

Westchester County will not criminally charge Gov. Cuomo over sexual misconduct allegations  —  The DA nevertheless said there was ‘credible evidence’ supporting allegations  —  Fox News Flash top headlines for December 28  —  The district attorney's office in Westchester County, New York …

Why isn't vaccination proof required for domestic flights?  —  To go into restaurants, visit gyms, go on a cruise or see the new “Spider-Man” movie in theaters, you need to show proof of vaccination in many parts of the country.  But you don't need proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test …

Judge rejects Proud Boys' First Amendment claims in January 6 conspiracy case  —  (CNN)A federal judge is allowing a major January 6 conspiracy case against four Proud Boys leaders to move forward, rejecting their bid to throw out the charges.  —  Judge Timothy Kelly, in a 43-page opinion issued Tuesday …