Tornado Death Toll Rises as States Assess Damage
The largest of the tornadoes that ripped through six states and killed at least 90 people will, according to Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, “ultimately be the longest tornado in certainly U.S. history, from the point where it touched down to when it finally picked back up.” Speaking at a news conference Sunday afternoon, Beshear said of the tornado’s more than 220 miles of destruction, “200 of them are in my state, with our people who have suffered from it.” At least three tornadoes were believed to have hit Kentucky on Friday night, the governor said, before adding that, “I think we now believe many, many more.”
Newsom calls for gun legislation modeled on Texas abortion law
Angered by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to continue allowing private citizens to sue Texas abortion providers, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Saturday called for a similar law giving ordinary residents legal standing to file lawsuits against purveyors of restricted firearms. “SCOTUS is letting private citizens in Texas sue to stop abortion?!” Newsom, a Democrat, tweeted. “If that’s the precedent, then we’ll let Californians sue those who put ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets.” The governor’s response seemed to contradict his earlier criticism of the Texas law, which Newsom had previously described as a cynical attempt to undercut federal rights.
Fauci: ‘We have the tools to protect ourselves’
With the United States facing the threat of yet another coronavirus variant before holiday gatherings, Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday acknowledged that Americans are suffering from “COVID fatigue” but said, “we have the tools to protect ourselves.” On ABC’s “This Week,” Fauci, the government’s leading infectious disease specialist and an adviser to President Joe Biden, again urged Americans to get vaccinated, seek out shots for their young children and obtain boosters that may offer “optimal protection” against the new omicron variant. Vaccination alone could “go a long way to getting us through this cold winter season, which clearly is associated with a spike in respiratory illnesses,” he said.
Britain will speed up its booster rollout, targeting all adults by year’s end
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday evening that its coronavirus vaccine booster program would be accelerated to counter what he called a “tidal wave” of cases from the rapidly spreading omicron variant. Johnson said the British government would now aim to offer all eligible adults a booster shot by the end of this year, a month earlier than the goal he set Nov. 30. Johnson, who has been under extreme pressure for days after the disclosure that his aides held a holiday party in breach of coronavirus restrictions last year, did not announce any major new social-distancing restrictions.
Haiti’s leader kept a list of drug traffickers. His assassins came for it.
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was about to name names. Before being assassinated in July, he was working on a list of powerful politicians and businesspeople involved in Haiti’s drug trade, with the intention of handing over the dossier to the U.S. government, according to four senior Haitian advisers and officials tasked with drafting the document. When gunmen burst into Moïse’s residence and killed him, his wife, Martine — shot, bleeding and pretending to be dead — described how they stayed to search the room. Some of the captured hit men confessed that retrieving the list Moïse had been working on — with the names of suspected drug traffickers — was a priority.
Israeli leader travels to UAE, showcasing deepening ties
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli leader to make an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, after flying to Abu Dhabi on Sunday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto Emirati leader. The visit is the latest sign of deepening ties between Israel and parts of the Arab world, a process that accelerated in the fall of 2020 when Israel began to sign diplomatic agreements with four countries, including the UAE, that had previously avoided formal relations with Israel because of its conflict with the Palestinians. Israeli Cabinet ministers have since visited the UAE, but never a prime minister.
New Caledonia says ‘non’ to independence
New Caledonia, a scattering of islands in the South Pacific, will not mark the new year by becoming the world’s newest country. In a referendum held Sunday, voters rejected independence overwhelmingly, with 96% electing to stay part of France, according to provisional results released Sunday by the French High Commission in New Caledonia. Although the referendum failed, prompting those who voted “non” to fly the French tricolor in the capital, Nouméa, the result does not signal an end to dreams of New Caledonian sovereignty. “We are pursuing our path of emancipation,” said Louis Mapou, New Caledonia’s president, brushing aside results of the referendum. “That is what is essential.”
Diplomats warn Russia of ‘massive consequences’ if it invades Ukraine
The top diplomats for the world’s wealthiest large democracies warned Russia on Sunday of “massive consequences” and “severe costs” should it invade Ukraine or continue military aggressions near its border. The foreign ministers for the Group of 7, who were gathered in Liverpool, England, urged Russia to pull back from the tense border standoff and made clear that any effort to negotiate or otherwise avoid confrontation would be welcome. “Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law,” they said in a statement. “Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.”
Fox anchor Chris Wallace makes his own news with move to CNN
Veteran anchor Chris Wallace has left Fox News after 18 years for CNN, dealing a significant blow to Fox’s news operation at a time that it has been overshadowed by the network’s opinion side.Wallace delivered the surprising news that he was leaving at the end of the “Fox News Sunday” show he moderates, and within two hours CNN announced he was joining its new streaming service as an anchor. CNN+ is expected to debut in early 2022. Wallace was a veteran broadcast network newsman, working at both ABC and NBC News, before the late Roger Ailes lured him to Fox with the promise of his own Sunday show.