Scientists are racing to gauge the threat of omicron
Even as scientists race to understand more about the omicron variant and the threat it poses, one fact is abundantly clear: It spreads quickly everywhere it lands. Delta remains the dominant variant nationally and was driving a surge in cases and hospitalizations even before omicron emerged. But omicron could soon overtake delta, scientists said. Still uncertain is how serious the consequences will be, as much remains unknown about the variant, including how likely it is to cause severe disease. But the United States must redouble its fight against the virus, experts said.
FDA will permanently allow abortion pills by mail
The federal government Thursday permanently lifted a major restriction on access to abortion pills. It will allow patients to receive the medication by mail instead of requiring them to obtain the pills in person from specially certified health providers. The decision, by the Food and Drug Administration, comes as the Supreme Court is considering whether to roll back abortion rights or even overturn its landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal nationwide. The FDA’s action means that medication abortion will become more available to women who find it difficult to travel to an abortion provider or prefer to terminate a pregnancy in their homes.
Typhoon hits Philippines, forcing thousands to flee flooding
Typhoon Rai slammed into the Philippines on Thursday, bringing heavy rains and flooding that displaced thousands. The typhoon intensified rapidly and was classified as a super typhoon, with sustained winds of 120 mph near the center and gusts of up to 168 mph. The designation is similar to a Category 5 hurricane in the United States. The Office of Civil Defense in Manila said that nearly 100,000 people in several regions had been moved to safer ground. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but communications were disrupted in many areas, making it hard to immediately assess the situation.
27 feared dead in building fire in Osaka
Twenty-seven people were feared dead after a fire broke out in a building in Osaka in western Japan, fire department officials said Friday, and police were investigating arson as a possible cause. The fire started on the fourth floor of an eight-story building in the shopping and entertainment area of Kitashinchi, Osaka city fire department official Akira Kishimoto said. Twenty-eight people were affected, 27 of whom were found in a state of cardiac arrest, Kishimoto said. So far 23 people have been taken to nearby hospitals, he said.
Tornado, storm death toll at 90 after Ky teen’s body found
A Kentucky neighborhood ravaged by a tornado by got more bad news Thursday: the body of a missing teenager was found. Nyssa Brown was the seventh member of her family to die in the tornado that hit Bowling Green last week. Warren County coroner Kevin Kirby said the 13-year-old’s body was found Thursday morning in a wooded area near her subdivision.Overall, there were 17 storm-related fatalities in Warren County, Kirby said.
Facing subpoenas, Trump allies try to run out the clock on Democrats
On Tuesday night, as the House prepared to hold Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress, a federal judge ruled that the Treasury Department could provide the former president’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee. Meadows could find comfort in the fact that the ruling took nearly 2 1/2 years. The twisting saga of that case — with dozens of motions, hearings, lawyer changes and rulings — gives an indication of how House subpoenas of Trump’s aides and allies might go as they try to run out the clock on the current Congress and hope for Republican control in 2023.
12 remaining members of US group kidnapped in Haiti have been released
The 12 remaining members of a group of 17 North American missionaries who had been kidnapped in Haiti two months ago have been released, their Ohio-based charity, Christian Aid Ministries, and the Haitian national police said Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether a ransom had been paid, or the physical conditions of the hostages. Five of the hostages had been let go already, although little was known about the terms of their release. The others were found in an outlying area of Port-au-Prince, the capital, on Thursday, local news reports said. A Haitian police spokesperson also confirmed the release without providing details.
NATO signals support for Ukraine in face of threat From Russia
Facing a building threat from Russia, Ukraine’s president sought security guarantees from NATO’s chief in a meeting Thursday and came away with a renewed commitment that his country could eventually join the military alliance despite stiff objections from its Russian neighbors. While the timing of the statement by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg sent an unmistakable message of support, it did not come with the commitments of military assistance that Ukrainian officials have been pleading for to deter, or possibly defend themselves against, a Russian military incursion. Ukraine has been locked in a war with Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
