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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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” …

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 …

Let Omicron Spell the End of the Pandemic—and the COVID Shaming  —  The Omicron variant of COVID-19 put many people's holiday plans to rest.  Just when we thought we were done with the pandemic, it roped us back in.  Mercifully, according to the CDC, this variant is milder than all other forms.

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.

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.

First they ran short of PPE, then ventilators.  Now, the shortage is hospital staff.  —  ‘Our absences are through the roof’: Hospitals face a depleted, exhausted workforce amid omicron surge … ROCHESTER, Minn. — Craig Daniels trained for this moment.  For nearly two decades …

A right-wing radio host said Trump needs an ‘intervention from a friend’ after the former president advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine  — Former President Donald Trump advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine in multiple appearances this month.  — His comments sparked criticism from some factions …

This is the worst economy we never had  —  For months, the GOP-Fox News axis forecast the bluest of Christmases.  —  House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy joined 159 House Republicans in a letter to President Biden saying his policies “will certainly ensure that this Christmas will not be merry” …

Ghislaine Maxwell Found Guilty of Helping Jeffrey Epstein Abuse Girls  —  Ms. Maxwell vowed to appeal after a jury found her guilty of sex-trafficking and conspiracy on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Manhattan.  —  Ghislaine Maxwell Is Found Guilty of Aiding in Epstein's Sex Abuse

DoD Awards $136.7 Million Contract to MilliporeSigma to Establish Domestic Production Capacity of Critical Material Used in COVID-19 Point-of-Care Tests  —  On Dec. 29, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD), on behalf of and in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services …

They were so careful, for so long.  They got covid anyway.  —  'I'd just ruined everybody's Christmas, including my own family's'  —  Fareha Ahmed had been cautious since the beginning of the pandemic.  She had eaten in restaurants only three times.  She and her husband were vaccinated and boosted …

COVID Cases Fill More City Hospital Beds, Threatening Halt on Elective Surgeries  —  Public hospital system has increasingly little room for new patients, state stats show.  New York City is now above the threshold of 4 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents that can trigger a state shutdown of non-essential surgery to free up space.

Street crime has distorted our politics before.  If we don't get it under control, it will do so again.  —  Even for a kid arriving from Manhattan, Philadelphia seemed lawless in 1990.  The city's population was shrinking and its homicide rate was peaking — 500 killings that year, a record that stood for decades.

Michigan's New Congressional Maps Undo Years of Gerrymandering  —  A citizen ballot initiative took redistricting out of the hands of partisan legislators.  The result: competitive political districts — and an example of how to push back against hyperpartisanship.

Merced man arrested on way to White House with rifle, ‘hit list’ compiled from TikTok  —  A California man was arrested last week in Iowa after telling police he was driving straight to the White House “to kill persons in power” and was found with an assault rifle and body armor, according to federal court records.