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 …

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.

Anatomy of a death threat  —  Trump supporters have waged a campaign of intimidation against the state and local officials who administer U.S. elections.  This visual analysis explores hundreds of menacing messages - and explains why they're difficult to counter.  —  SCROLL TO CONTINUE

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 …

White House asks Supreme Court to intervene in Remain in Mexico legal battle  —  The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court if it really has to continue a successful policy to thwart illegal migration instated by the previous administration.  The administration is asking that the Supreme Court …

Florida COVID update: cases, hospitalizations, deaths  —  Florida on Thursday reported 77,848 additional COVID-19 cases and 90 more deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data.  The large increase comes from the CDC backlogging cases …

'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

A New Ban on Surprise Medical Bills Starts This Week  —  If you have a medical emergency, you will no longer need to worry about a large bill from a doctor you did not choose.  —  For years, millions of Americans with medical emergencies could receive another nasty surprise …

Ashraf Ghani: Ex-Afghan president describes moment he fled the Taliban  —  Afghanistan's former president has defended his decision to flee the country as the Taliban closed in earlier this year, saying he did it to prevent the destruction of Kabul.  —  The Taliban seized power in August after taking control of the capital.

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 …

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.

Weekly jobless claims total 198,000, less than expected and around 52-year low  — Weekly jobless claims totaled 198,000 for the week ended Dec. 25.  — That was below the 205,000 forecast and near the lowest level since 1969.  — Continuing claims also fell, dropping to 1.72 million for their lowest total since March 7, 2020.

Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Jr. to co-host fundraisers for Cheney challenger  —  Tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. are co-hosting a pair of January fundraisers for Wyoming Republican Harriet Hageman, the Trump-backed primary challenger running against GOP Rep. Liz Cheney …

Let's Go Brandon store chain to expand in New England: ‘Business is very, very good’  —  Chain owner Keith Lambert tells FOX Business he's opening two new locations to meet demand  —  Business is booming for a Let's Go Brandon store chain selling anti-President Biden merchandise across New England.

Where is the outrage over the killing of Baltimore police officer Keona Holley?  —  It was an iconic moment in the coverage of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol: CNN anchor Don Lemon wept at video footage of police officer Daniel Hodges being crushed in a door by the mob.

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 …

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 …

Pro-Trump lawyer says his plantations were go-to spots for those aiming to overturn the 2020 election  — Lin Wood says he hosted numerous election conspiracists on his plantation properties in South Carolina after the election.  — His guests included fellow Trump ally attorney Sidney Powell …

Confederate monuments will likely go to Black history museum  —  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia and Richmond officials on Thursday announced a tentative agreement to transfer ownership of the city's now mostly removed Confederate monuments to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

After 4 Killings, ‘Officer of the Year’ Is Still on the Job  —  A Pennsylvania state trooper was returned to duty following three investigations by his own agency.  A fourth inquiry is underway.  —  In November 2008, Pennsylvania Trooper Jay Splain was honored at a county law enforcement banquet as a hero …

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.