Federal Judges Order Release of Jeffrey Epstein Civil Settlement at Issue in Lawsuit Against Prince Andrew  —  Federal judges ordered the unsealing of a 2009 settlement agreement that Prince Andrew has claimed insulates him from a civil lawsuit accusing him of having sexually abused a 17-year-old girl.

Trump accuses Jan. 6 panel of “seeking evidence of criminal activity”  —  Former President Trump's legal team on Wednesday accused the House committee investigating the Capitol riot of seeking to uncover evidence that would support a criminal referral against him.

Level 4: Very High … Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status.  If you travel on a cruise ship, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel and get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose if you are eligible.  Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect yourself from severe disease …

Strong Labor Market in 2021 Faces Down Omicron Threat  —  Jobless claims are expected to hold near half-century low, pointing to still-solid job outlook  —  U.S. employers added a record number of jobs in 2021, a gauge of layoffs fell to a half-century low and available positions surged …

Inside the campaign to undermine Georgia's election  —  Editor's note  —  Between the Nov. 3 presidential election and Jan. 6, Georgia was at the center of the biggest election dispute of modern American history.  AJC reporters worked day and night for months to capture the election results …

'I don't know much about foreign affairs': George W. Bush made startling confession to Britain's US ambassador, National Archive documents reveal  — George W Bush admitted he knew little about international affairs, papers show  — His later presidency was dominated by US military action in Iraq and Afghanistan

Dem Florida gov. candidate Nikki Fried calls out DeSantis's lack of visibility as Omicron surges  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to be missing in action as Omicron sweeps across his state.  Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, who is seeking …

Ted Cruz mistakes ‘Western Australia’ for ‘Washington State’ in botched attack on ‘power-drunk’ Dems  —  Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz apparently confused “Western Australia” with “Washington State” in an attempted attack on Democrats over COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday night.

The Complicated Legacy of E. O. Wilson  —  We must reckon with his and other scientists' racist ideas if we want an equitable future … Monica R. McLemore is an associate professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department and a clinician-scientist at Advancing New Standards …

L.A.'s Arms Race of the Affluent  —  From Beverly Hills to Santa Monica, the crime-panicked wealthy are banishing bling and buying guns  —  In Beverly Hills, even the purchase of a firearm comes with certain...expectations.  The city's only gun store, Beverly Hills Guns, is a “concierge service” …

Coronavirus risk calculations get harder as a study suggests rapid tests may be less effective at detecting omicron  —  Fauci draws a line on New Year's Eve parties — no big crowd, and moderate the “hugging and kissing”  —  As the coronavirus spawns a record-breaking wave of infections …

Marine discharges over COVID-19 vaccine mandate continue to rise to 206  —  The U.S. Marines continue to purge its ranks of those who refuse to get the coronavirus vaccine.  —  Active-duty Marines had until Nov. 14 to get vaccianted or apply for an exemption, while anyone who didn't comply would face being discharged.

J&J's booster shot provides strong protection against severe disease from Omicron, a study says.  —  A Johnson & Johnson booster shot provided strong protection against the Omicron variant, greatly reducing the risk of hospitalization, according to a clinical trial in South Africa.

I Thought I Knew Harry Reid.  I Was Wrong.  —  The first time I called Harry Reid's office, I was trying to provoke him.  It was the spring of 2008, and I was working as a banking reporter for a trade publication unhelpfully called SNL Financial and headquartered, just as unhelpfully …

The relentless 2021 news cycle in one chart  —  Between a siege on the Capitol building, a Texas snowstorm, Brood X cicadas, the Olympics and a stuck container ship in the Suez Canal — not to mention endless COVID variants — it's been a busy year.  —  Why it matters: In the inaugural Axios …

2021 Men of the Year: Michael Avenatti's Prison Guards  —  In almost every instance, kicking a man when he's down is total bitch move.  Unless the down man is Michael Avenatti, in which case kicking is the only honorable course of action.  —  According to a Politico profile of the convicted felon …

British Newspaper Cancels ‘Person Of The Year’ Poll After J.K. Rowling Runs Away With Top Spot  —  Readers of the British newspaper, The Guardian, are accusing the outlet of deactivating an online poll that asked readers to vote on “Person of the Year” after it became apparent that J.K. Rowling would handily win.

Man who uttered 'Let's go Brandon' during Biden call-in event mulls running for office  —  An Oregon man who invoked a coded vulgar insult of President Biden during a Christmas Eve call-in event with the president and first lady is considering running for office and says he would welcome former president Donald Trump's blessing.

Maori newsreader becomes first person with chin tattoo to anchor news programme  —  Oriini Kaipara said she had broken through a ‘glass ceiling’  —  A New Zealand reporter has made history by becoming the first person to present a prime time news programme with a traditional Māori chin tattoo.

Leader McCarthy Appoints Congressman Michael Turner As Ranking Member of HPSCI  —  Washington, D.C. - House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) has appointed Congressman Michael Turner (OH-10) to be Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, effective January 1 …