Biden orders federal vehicles and buildings to use renewable energy by 2050
President Joe Biden on Wednesday set in motion a plan to make the federal government carbon neutral, ordering federal agencies to buy electric vehicles, to power facilities with wind, solar and nuclear energy, and to use sustainable building materials. In a series of executive orders, Biden directed the government to transform its 300,000 buildings, 600,000 cars and trucks, and use its annual purchases of $650 billion in goods and services to meet his goal of a federal government that stops adding carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2050. Biden has long said he intended to use the federal government as a model and to help spur the markets for green energy.
Pfizer says its booster offers strong protection against omicron
Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that laboratory tests suggest a booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine offers significant protection against the fast-spreading omicron variant of the virus. The companies said that tests of blood from people who had received only two doses found much lower levels of antibodies protecting against omicron than against an earlier version of the virus. That suggests that two doses “may not be sufficient to protect against infection” by the new variant, the companies said. While limited in scope — to get fast results, the companies examined only about 39 samples — the findings provided a bit of hopeful news at a time of renewed uncertainty.
Coronavirus attacks fat tissue, scientists find
From the start of the pandemic, the coronavirus seemed to target people carrying extra pounds. Patients who were overweight or obese were more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and more likely to die. Although these patients often have health conditions like diabetes that compound their risk, scientists have become increasingly convinced that their vulnerability has something to do with obesity itself. Now researchers have found that the coronavirus infects both fat cells and certain immune cells within body fat. If the findings hold up, they may shed light not just on why patients with excess pounds are vulnerable, but also on why certain younger adults with no other risks become so ill.
Meadows sues Pelosi in bid to block Jan. 6 committee subpoena
Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff for President Donald Trump, filed suit Wednesday against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in an attempt to persuade a federal judge to block the committee’s subpoenas. Meadows’ suit came hours after the committee said it would move forward with a criminal contempt of Congress referral against Meadows after he refused to appear for a scheduled deposition. His lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, accuses the committee of issuing “two overly broad and unduly burdensome subpoenas” against him, including one sent to Verizon for his phone and text data.
Senate votes to reject vaccine mandateas Republicans eye midterms
The Senate on Wednesday voted narrowly to roll back President Joe Biden’s vaccine and testing mandate for large private-sector employers, taking mostly symbolic action as Republicans escalate their protest of the administration’s push to immunize Americans against a deadly pandemic. Two centrist Democrats — Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana — joined all 50 Republicans in voting 52-48 to pass a bill to overturn the regulation, which has already been blocked in the courts. The House is not expected to take up the measure, and administration officials said Biden would veto it should it reach his desk.
India’s top military general dies in helicopter crash
Gen. Bipin Rawat, India’s highest-ranking military official, leading efforts to modernize the country’s armed forces, died in a helicopter crash Wednesday along with his wife and 11 others, officials said. The Indian air force said Rawat had been on his way to the Defense Services Staff College to address the faculty and students, when his helicopter went down near Coonoor. There was only one survivor among the nine passengers and four crew members, the statement said. The air force has announced that an inquiry was underway. Experts said nothing about the incident raised immediate red flags.
UK won’t send top officials to Beijing winter olympics
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that there would be “effectively a diplomatic boycott” of the 2022 Beijing Olympics by Britain, which has now joined the United States and others in pulling its top officials from attendance of the Winter Games. The boycott by Britain means that athletes will be allowed to compete but provides a way for the country to publicly condemn China for its human rights abuses. Australia and Lithuania have also announced a diplomatic boycott. Later on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said his country would follow suit.
Japanese billionaire arrives at Space Station for 12-day tourist trip
Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire and fashion retail mogul, arrived at the International Space Station for a 12-day stay Wednesday. He is the latest privately funded traveler to the orbital laboratory. Maezawa, founder of the online fashion retailer Zoro, launched to space from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, at 2:38 a.m. Eastern time (10:38 a.m. local time) on a Russian Soyuz rocket with Yozo Hirano, a production assistant who will document his trip. Alexander Misurkin, a Russian astronaut, was also on board. The crew docked six hours later. After boarding, the space station’s crew, now 10 people, gathered in the Russian segment for a brief welcoming ceremony.
Britain introduces tougher COVID measures as cases surge
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced major new restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, urging people to work from home, extending a mask mandate and introducing a vaccine passport for some indoor venues. Johnson called the decision to tighten restrictions in England a “proportionate and responsible” response to the rise in omicron cases, which he said were “growing much faster than the previous delta variant” in Britain. Last week, Britain announced plans to extend its vaccine booster program to all adults in order to increase protection against the coronavirus.
Father, son arrested in wildfire that threatened Lake Tahoe
A father and son were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting a massive California wildfire that destroyed many homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Lake Tahoe communities earlier this year, authorities said. David Scott Smith, 66, and his son, Travis Shane Smith, 32, are accused of reckless arson in a warrant issued before formal charges are filed, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office said. Authorities allege they caused homes to burn and people to be seriously injured in the fire that began in August. The Caldor fire scorched more than 346 square miles an destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other buildings while crossing a mostly remote forested area of seasonal cabins.
By wire sources