Betty White, a TV fixture for seven decades, dead at 99
Betty White, who created two of the most memorable characters in sitcom history, the nymphomaniacal Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the sweet but dim Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” — and who capped her long career with a comeback that included a triumphant appearance as the host of “Saturday Night Live” at the age of 88 — died Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99. Her death, less than three weeks before her 100th birthday, was confirmed by Jeff Witjas, her longtime friend and agent. White won five Primetime Emmys and one competitive Daytime Emmy in a television career that spanned seven decades.
Studies suggest why omicron is less severe: It spares the lungs
Studies on lab animals and human tissues are providing the first indication of why the omicron variant causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus. In studies on mice and hamsters, omicron produced less-damaging infections, often limited largely to the upper airway. Omicron did much less harm to the lungs, where previous variants often caused scarring and serious breathing difficulty. On Wednesday, a consortium of Japanese and American scientists released a report on hamsters and mice that had been infected with omicron or one of several earlier variants. Those infected with omicron had less lung damage, lost less weight and were less likely to die, the study found.
Scientists predict omicron will peak in the US in Mid-January
Scientists are projecting that the United States’ sharp increase in omicron cases will crest as soon as the middle of January. Over the past month, the omicron variant has spread around the world with astonishing speed, even among people who are vaccinated or who had recovered from previous infections. On Thursday, the United States surpassed 580,000 cases, beating the record set only a day before. That is believed to be a vast undercount, because of testing shortages, the popularity of at-home tests and reporting delays over the holidays. What’s more, a significant number of people may have asymptomatic infections and never know it.
Chief Justice Roberts reflects on conflicts, judicial independence
Chief Justice John Roberts devoted his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary Friday to a plea for judicial independence. “The judiciary’s power to manage its internal affairs insulates courts from inappropriate political influence and is crucial to preserving public trust in its work as a separate and coequal branch of government,” he wrote. The report comes shortly after a bipartisan commission finished studying changes to the federal judiciary. While that panel analyzed proposals like imposing 18-year term limits on justices and expanding the court, much of Roberts’ report focused on thwarting less contentious efforts by Congress to address financial conflicts and workplace misconduct in the judicial system.
Should kids be vaccinated? Brazil turns to online survey
As world leaders rely on public health specialists to inform their decisions about whether and how to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, Brazil’s government is asking the online public for guidance. In recent weeks, President Jair Bolsonaro has staked out a position against immunizing kids aged between 5 and 11, and his administration took the unusual step of creating a platform that could validate a stance that is widely opposed by experts. Since his government on Dec. 23 unveiled its online questionnaire on the issue, the president’s supporters have been highly engaged on messaging apps trying to pressure parents to swing the results.
Wave of canceled flights from omicron closes out 2021
More canceled flights frustrated air travelers on the final day of 2021 and appeared all but certain to inconvenience hundreds of thousands more over the New Year’s holiday weekend. Airlines blamed many of the cancellations on crew shortages related to the spike in COVID-19 infections, along with wintry weather in parts of the United States. It pushed the total U.S. cancellations since Christmas Eve to more than 10,000 and topped the previous single-day peak this holiday season, which was 1,520 on Dec. 26.
By wire sources
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