Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.
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TOP HEADLINES:
Enbridge, Michigan reboot Line 5 court battle
Holland refloats compromise on fired scientists
More Quebec and Ontario students return to class
What's Paxlovid and who should get it?
Labour, product shortages hit grocery stores
Storms, ice, snow batter Canada for second day
N.L. school text on immigration under fire
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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:
Enbridge, Michigan reboot Line 5 court battle
US-Cda-Pipelines
Washington D. C., Washington, D.C., United States -- Enbridge Inc. and the state of Michigan are renewing their legal hostilities over the future of the controversial Line 5 pipeline — and their latest court battle looks an awful lot like the last one. By James McCarten. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Holland refloats compromise on fired scientists
Scientists-Fired
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Government House leader Mark Holland is urging the Conservatives to reconsider their rejection of a compromise proposal that would allow MPs to finally see unredacted documents related to the firing of two scientists at Canada's highest-security laboratory. By Joan Bryden. Wire: National.
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Canada hosts regional summit on Haiti instability
Cda-Haiti
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Canada is hosting a virtual summit of regional leaders to discuss the ongoing unrest in Haiti following last summer's killing of its president. Wire: National.
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Flooded-damaged B.C. highway to reopen to all
Flooding-BC-Highway
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -- A key highway in British Columbia will reopen to regular vehicle traffic on Wednesday, three months after large parts of it were washed away by record rainfall. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Man sentenced in random stabbing death
Calgary-Random-Attack
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- A Calgary man who randomly killed a Nigerian nursing student more than three years ago will have to serve 15 years of a life sentence before he is eligible to apply for parole. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Further delay for man's sentencing in child death
Alta-Toddler-Death
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- A sentencing hearing for a Calgary man convicted of second-degree murder for killing his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter has been further delayed. By Bill Graveland. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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UPDATED COVID-19 and OMICRON:
More Quebec and Ontario students return to class
COVID-Cda
More students in Quebec and Ontario headed back to class today after the scheduled return to in-person learning was delayed Monday by a winter storm. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Omicron can be infectious up to 10 days: Tam
COVID-Isolation
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the latest evidence does not support the hope the Omicron variant is contagious for less time than previous versions of the virus that causes COVID-19. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Positive news coming on restrictions: Ford
COVID-Ont-Restrictions
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Ontario is set to make an announcement later this week about reducing COVID-19 restrictions, Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday, as some health-sector experts pointed to early signs of an ebbing Omicron wave. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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What to know about COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid
COVID-Treatments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Health Canada authorized the first at-home, oral treatment for COVID-19 Monday. But what is Paxlovid, how does it work and who can get it? Here are some answers. By Mia Rabson. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Gyms can reopen in British Columbia
COVID-BC
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- Gyms and other exercise facilities are being allowed to reopen in British Columbia, a move the province's top doctor describes as a "cautious step" in lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Saskatchewan's Omicron peak weeks away: doctor
COVID-Sask
Regina, , -- The Saskatchewan Health Authority says health-care services may be interrupted in the weeks ahead when a tide of COVID-19 hospitalizations and absenteeism among workers is expected to hit. By Mickey Djuric. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Child-care centres receive limited N95 mask supply
COVID-Ont-Daycares
The heads of some child-care centres in Ontario say they've received limited supplies of N95 masks from the provincial government and no indication as to when they will be replenished. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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COVID-19: Quebec reports 89 more deaths
COVID-Que
Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- Quebec is reporting 89 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus and a rise of 36 COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 2
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N.S. reports one new COVID-19 death
COVID-NS
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Nova Scotia is reporting 13 new hospital admissions and one new death today as a result of COVID-19. Wire: Atlantic.
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Nunavut has first death in Omicron wave
COVID-Nunavut
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada -- Nunavut's premier says the territory has recorded its first COVID-19 death during the Omicron wave. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Yukon changes school alert process for COVID-19
COVID-Yukon
WHITEHORSE — Yukon's acting chief medical officer of health says school-based surveillance and management of COVID-19 is the next "logical step" to keep pace with the Omicron variant. Wire: Prairies/BC.
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Homeless shelters face more strain amid Omicron
COVID-Shelters
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- People working to help the homeless are struggling to support those living on the streets as the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant sweeps through communities. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Labour, product shortages hit grocery stores
Grocery-Shortages
Grocery stores are struggling with rising labour and product shortages that could threaten Canada's food security, experts say. By Brett Bundale. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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WestJet, Air Canada cancel flights amid Omicron
Airlines-Flight-Cancellations
Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- Canada's two biggest airlines are cutting thousands of flights as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge. By Christopher Reynolds. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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Quebec looks abroad to fix nursing shortage
Que-Nurse-Immigration
Montreal, , -- From her Spanish-language Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok accounts, Colombian-born nurse Johana Botero makes her pitch to other South American health workers to come join her in Quebec. By Morgan Lowrie. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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How to extend the life of a disposable respirator
COVID-Explainer-Reusing-Respirators
Many Canadians are upping their face mask game as the more transmissible Omicron variant fuels of a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Melissa Couto Zuber. Wire: Lifestyle. Photos: 1
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UPDATED OTHER TOP NEWS:
Storms, ice, snow batter Canada for second day
WEA-Winter-Storm
A snowstorm that closed schools in parts of southern Ontario and Quebec on Monday kept many of them dark for another day, while some parts of the Prairies that were already hit with freezing rain are now contending with plunging temperatures and snow. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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N.L. school text on immigration under fire
NL-Offensive-Curriculum
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -- Newfoundland and Labrador's education minister says he's worried parts of the province's Grade 9 social studies curriculum have made immigrant students feel unwelcome. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Canadian military short more than 12,000 troops
Military-Personnel
Ottawa, , -- The Canadian Armed Forces is dealing with a mounting personnel shortage, as new figures show military recruitment and training have failed to keep pace with plans to expand the force, resulting in more than 12,000 unfilled positions. By Lee Berthiaume. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Joly wraps Ukraine trip amid invasion fears
Cda-Ukraine
Ottawa, , -- Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada has not decided whether it will help arm Ukraine's forces with military hardware after NATO ally Britain said Monday it would supply anti-tank weapons to the eastern European country. By Mike Blanchfield. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Mother sentenced to house arrest for death of boy
Ont-Toddler-Drowning
A 38-year-old woman has been sentenced to house arrest for the death of her three-year-old son, who drowned after she drove onto a flooded road and failed to save him. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Hamilton paramedics get conditional sentence
Ont-Paramedics-Trial
Two Hamilton paramedics who treated a fatally wounded teen as though he had suffered a minor injury "deprived him of his only possible chance of survival" but didn't set out to harm him or treat him negligently, an Ontario judge said in sentencing them to 18 months served in the community. By Paola Loriggio. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Gunsmith's family sues Toronto police over death
Ont-Gunsmith
The family of a gunsmith who was shot and killed by Toronto police has launched a lawsuit against the force, seeking $23 million in damages in his death. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Court to hear urgent appeal for drug-use sites
Alta-Drug-Sites
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- Alberta's top court will hear an urgent appeal by harm reduction advocates who want to stop a provincial policy that requires supervised drug-use clients to identify themselves. By Alanna Smith. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Suncor provides more details on fatal collision
Suncor-Safety
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- The chief executive of Suncor Energy Inc. says the company must do more to improve workplace safety after a truck crash earlier this month resulted in the death of a contractor at the company's Base Mine site near Fort McMurray, Alta. By Amanda Stephenson. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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'Murder' mystery: Crows dying in Charlottetown
PEI-Dead-Crows
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- It was during the holiday break that something awful started happening to many of the thousands of crows that frequent Victoria Park in downtown Charlottetown. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Canadian doctor helps deliver baby mid-flight
Flight-Baby-Delivery
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Dr. Aisha Khatib was hoping to catch some shut-eye on the final leg of her multi-stop plane voyage from Toronto to Entebbe, Uganda. By Adina Bresge. Wire: Lifestyle. Photos: 1
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Bondar reflects on space mission 30 years ago
Bondar-Anniversary
Most memories, after 30 years, start to fade. By Bob Weber. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Grand chief says flooding payout is fair
Mba-Flood-Settlement
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada -- The grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says the latest court settlement for property owners affected by devastating flooding more than a decade ago is fair. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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$500 million to be spent on N.S. highways, bridges
NS-Highway-Plan
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Capital spending to improve and upgrade Nova Scotia's roads, highways and bridges is expected to approach nearly $500 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Saskatchewan premier calls Athabasca byelection
Sask-Byelection
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada -- Premier Scott Moe has announced a byelection for Feb. 15 to fill a vacant legislature seat in Athabasca. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Manitoba premier to shuffle cabinet lineup
Mba-Cabinet-Shuffle
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada -- Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is shuffling her cabinet this afternoon for the first time since taking over the top job in November. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Documents hint at federal inflation outlook
Cda-Inflation
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Newly released documents show the Finance Department last year warned that the pace of price increases could gain speed, even as the Liberal government and central bank maintained that inflationary pressures were temporary. By Jordan Press. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Toronto lab finds security issues in Olympic app
OLY-App-Security
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Researchers at a Toronto-based tech laboratory have uncovered security vulnerabilities and censorship frameworks in an app all 2022 Beijing Olympics attendees must use. By Tara Deschamps. Wire: Business, Sports. Photos: 1
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Ramakrishnan among CSA's special award winners
TV-Canadian-Screen-Awards
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- "Never Have I Ever" star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and sportscaster Bob Cole are among those set to receive honours from this year's Canadian Screen Awards. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Netflix price jump raises streaming bill questions
Netflix-Price-Increase
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Another year, another Netflix price increase. By David Friend. Wire: Entertainment, Business. Photos: 1
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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:
The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:
Nobody wants the Wolverine mine. Now the Yukon government is on the hook
LJI-YKN-Yukon_zinc_court_again
Yukon Zinc was back in court on Jan. 12, where lawyers admitted that there are no prospective buyers for a mine that was once a billed as a Yukon success story. It’s a far cry from the glory years, circa 2006, when the Yukon government still bragged about selling mineral resource properties to Chinese companies and Yukon ministers travelled across the Pacific Ocean with mining CEOs. The mine has been in receivership with PriceWaterhouse Coopers since Sept. 2019 and has a safety risk classification of “very high.”900 words. Lawrie Crawford/Yukon News
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‘Massive changes’ needed to address MMIWG, says co-chair of Alberta joint working group
LJI-Alta-MMIWG-Massive-changes-needed
In a small ceremony this week the Alberta joint working group will formally deliver its more than 100 recommendations to the province on actions the government should implement to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG). 1,000 words. Shari Narine/Windspeaker.com
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Students in Manitoba walk out to highlight COVID concerns
LJI-MAN-VIRUS SCHOOLS PROTEST
On Monday, the first day of face-to-face classes in 2022, students took part in simultaneous walkouts across Manitoba to denounce limited pandemic protocols in K-12 buildings and the inability to participate in e-learning during the fourth wave of the pandemic. 600 words. Maggie Macintosh/Winnipeg Free Press
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FROM AP:
The latest AP News Digest is not available. This is the previous version.
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ONLY ON AP
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NTSB-TRAFFIC FATALITIES — Amid a sharp spike in traffic fatalities, the nation’s top safety investigator says a widely cited statistic that 94% of serious crashes are solely due to human error is misleading and that the Transportation Department should stop using it. By Hope Yen. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.
THE-AP-INTERVIEW-BEIJING-AI-WEIWEI — When he was tapped to help design Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the artist Ai Weiwei hoped the Games and the arena’s instantly recognizable weave of curving steel beams would symbolize China’s new openness. He was disappointed. The Chinese dissident widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest living artists has repeatedly described the stadium and the 2008 Olympics as a “fake smile” that his native country presented to the world. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK — The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated. By Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 705 words, photos.
UNITED-STATES-UKRAINE —Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Russian counterpart in Switzerland this week as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, the State Department said Tuesday. The State Department said Blinken will travel to Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, move on to Berlin and then meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday. The hastily arranged trip aims to show U.S. support for Ukraine and impress on Russia the need for de-escalation. By Matthew Lee. SENT: 955 words, photos.
CONGRESS-VOTING BILLS — Voting legislation that’s a top priority for Democrats and civil rights leaders seemed headed for defeat as the Senate opened, a devastating setback enabled by President Joe Biden’s own party as two holdout senators refuse to support rule changes to overcome a Republican filibuster. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 865 words, photo. WITH: CONGRESS-FILIBUSTER-EXPLAINER — Senate Republicans are expected this week to filibuster Democrats’ sweeping voting legislation, setting up an intense debate over more-than-a-century-old Senate rules that grant outsize power to the chamber’s minority. Here’s a look at the filibuster, how it works and why it matters. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 6 p.m.
TEXAS SYNAGOGUE-STANDOFF — An armed man who took four people hostage during a 10-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue had spent time in area homeless shelters in the two weeks leading up to the attack, and was dropped off at one by someone he appeared to know. By Jamie Stengle, Jake Bleiberg and Eric Tucker. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 6 p.m.
FAA-PLANES-5G-INTERFERENCE -- AT&T will postpone new wireless service near some airports planned for this week after the nation’s largest airlines said the service would interfere with aircraft technology and cause massive flight disruptions. The company said Tuesday it would delay turning on new cell towers around runways at some airports — it did not say how many — and work with federal regulators to settle a dispute over potential interference from new 5G service. By David Koening. SENT: 825 words, photos. WITH: 5G-AIRLINES-EXPLAINER — The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports. SENT: 690 words, photos.
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TRENDING NEWS
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN-HOME TESTS — The Biden administration quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially go online. SENT: 285 words, photos.
SPAIN-WORLD'S-OLDEST-MAN — A news agency in Spain says a Spaniard described by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man has died at the age of 112. SENT: 160 words.
BRITAIN-MODERN-SLAVERY — A man in England has pleaded guilty to conspiring to exploit a vulnerable victim who was found living in a garden shed that had been his home for 40 years. SENT: 190 words.
ITALY-ARISTOCRAT-AUCTION -- A Rome villa containing the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio is going back on a court-ordered auction block after no apparent winning bids were entered. SENT: 710 words, photo.
ISRAEL-MISSILE-DEFENSE — Israel said it has successfully tested a system designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the earth’s atmosphere. SENT: 235 words.
MAR-A-LAGO-INTRUDER — The Connecticut opera singer who drew law enforcement fire when she sped through a checkpoint outside then-President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. SENT: 660 words, photo.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-RUSSIA — Russian authorities are shortening the required isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 from 14 to seven days as the country faces another surge of COVID-19 cases, this time driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. SENT: 535 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HONG KONG — Hong Kong authorities say that they will cull some 2,000 small animals, including hamsters after several of the rodents tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet store where an infected employee was working. SENT: 540 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Chinese state media say parcels mailed from overseas may have spread the omicron variant of the coronavirus in Beijing and elsewhere, despite doubts among overseas health experts that the virus can be transmitted via packaging. SENT: 510 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN — Japan’s government is preparing social restrictions in Tokyo and other regions as the omicron variant of the coronavirus infects more people. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS
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BIDEN-ONE YEAR-SHORT TAKES — President Joe Biden was seen by voters as one who could restore a sense of normalcy and a reassuring tone to the White House. He found out, as all his predecessors have, that events beyond his control would shape his time in office and the public’s assessment of him. Some takeaways from the AP’s White House team on Biden’s first year as president. SENT: 1,580 words, photos.
BIDEN-ONE-YEAR-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris is capping off a controversial first year in office, creating history as the first woman of color in her position while fending off criticism and complaints over her focus and agenda. While she’s sought to make the office her own, Harris has struggled at times with the constraints of a global pandemic and the realities of a role focused squarely on promoting the president. SNT: 1,145 words, photos.
FBI-CYBER-THREATS — The FBI and other federal government agencies are increasingly looking to counter cyber threats through tools other than criminal indictments. That’s according to the bureau’s top cyber official. Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran says in an interview with The Associated Press that arrests and indictments are something the FBI still pursues every day. But as more agencies have joined the fight against cyber crime and are looking to have the most disruptive possible impact, FBI officials are thinking carefully about how best to time an indictment, or whether an indictment is even the best action. SENT: 740 words, photo.
SUPREME COURT-STOLEN PAINTING — The Supreme Court seemed inclined to side with a California man in a dispute with a Spanish museum over a painting stolen from his family by the Nazis and now worth millions. David Cassirer’s grandmother owned the piece but in 1939 surrendered it in order to get a visa so she and her husband could leave Germany. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 3 p.m.
ELECTION-2022-TEXAS-GOVERNOR — Money is pouring fast into the Texas governor’s race headlined by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O’Rourke. Both reported massive early fundraising hauls Monday that puts the campaign on an accelerated track to become one of the nation’s most expensive in 2022. O’Rourke says he raised $7.2 million in the weeks after entering the race in mid-November. SENT: 400 words, photos.
ELECTION-2022-NEW-YORK-GOVERNOR — Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will not run for governor. He ended months of speculation by announcing he would not enter the Democratic primary in which Gov. Kathy Hochul already has a commanding start, having locked up endorsements and fundraising. De Blasio left office at the end of 2021 after eight years of mayor of the largest city in the country. SENT: 630 words, photos.
CONGRESS-NEW LAWMAKER — Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will be sworn in Tuesday as the newest member of the U.S. House after winning a seat last held by the late Rep. Alcee Hastings. Ceremony expected 6:45 p.m. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 7:30 p.m.
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INTERNATIONAL
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TARNISHED-GOLD-BRAZIL-DIVISIONS — Very little of the money from illegal mining on Indigenous lands in Brazil go to locals. After a 2020 raid on the Raposa Serra do Sol reserve, Federal Police in Roraima state found just 4% went to local communities. A quarter goes to the owners of equipment used to extract the gold, the rest to miners. SENT: 1,370 words, photos.
TONGA-VOLCANO ERUPTION — Despite sitting almost on top of the volcano that erupted so violently, the Pacific nation of Tonga appears to have avoided the widespread disaster that many initially feared. SENT: 970 words, photos, video.
NORWAY-BREIVIK-PAROLE HEARING — Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in massacres in Norway in 2011, appeared at a parole hearing, seemingly more focused on spreading white supremacist propaganda than gaining an improbable early release from prison. SENT: 745 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN-DECLASSIFIED REPORT — A year-old report by Washington’s Afghanistan watchdog has now been declassified and shows that it warned back in early 2021 that the Afghan air force would collapse without critical U.S. aid and training. That was months before Biden announced the end to America’s longest war. The report offers stark warnings about the capabilities of Afghanistan’s air force to survive in a post-U.S. Afghanistan, saying it would not be able to maintain the aircraft it possessed or train a new generation. SENT: 740 words, photos.
COLOMBIA-PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL — Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was held as a hostage for six years by Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, says she will be running for her country’s presidency. The announcement comes almost two decades after Betancourt was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia while also campaigning for the country’s top office for the Green Oxygen Party, a movement she founded while she was a congresswoman. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.
EMIRATES-PERSIAN GULF-TENSIONS — Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press appear to show the aftermath of a fatal attack on an oil facility in the capital of the United Arab Emirates claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. SENT: 785 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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TESLA-FATAL-CRASH-INVESTIGATION — California prosecutors have filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against the driver of a Tesla on Autopilot who ran a red light, slammed into another car and killed two people in 2019. The defendant appears to be the first person to be charged with a felony in the United States for a fatal crash involving a motorist who was using a partially automated driving system. SENT: 1,005 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS-ACCESS — A coalition of media groups says restrictions on access to the federal civil rights trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death amount to an unconstitutional closing of the courtroom. SENT: 545 words, photos.
JUVENILE CUSTODY-DEATH — A Kansas prosecutor said that he cannot file criminal charges over the death of a Black 17-year-old who became unresponsive while being restrained following an altercation with staff at a Wichita juvenile center in September. SENT: 465 words, photos.
UNIVERSITY-OF-MICHIGAN-DOCTOR-ASSAULT — Two men who say they were sexually assaulted by a former sports doctor at the University of Michigan are hoping that a change in leadership with the weekend firing of President Mark Schlissel will allow the school be more accountable toward abuse victims. SENT: 665 words.
WESTERN-WILDFIRES-BIDEN-PLAN — The Biden administration plans to significantly increase efforts to stave off catastrophic wildfires that have been torching areas of the U.S. West by more aggressively thinning forests around areas called hotspots where nature and neighborhoods collide. SENT: 890 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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CLIMATE CHANGE-STATES — As many U.S. states attempt to go carbon-free for their energy use, a big question hangs over their plans: Will they be able to keep the lights on if they transition to 100% renewable energy? Many states have decided that wind, solar, water and other forms of alternative energy won’t be enough to replace coal- and natural gas-fired power plants and have begun incorporating nuclear power into their strategies. By Jennifer McDermott. SENT: 1,990 words. photos. An abridged version of 960 words is also available. WITH: CLIMATE CHANGE-NUCLEAR TOWN — In tiny Wyoming town, Bill Gates bets big on nuclear power. SENT: 1,420 words, photos.
OLY-XXX-CLIMATE-CHANGE — When COVID-19 hit in the winter of 2020, many escaped cabin fever by hitting cross country ski trails. Nordic skis quickly became the new toilet paper – they were hard to find and sold out in stores. But the future of Nordic skiing is uncertain as climate change makes snow less certain and winters shorter. Many longtime skiers have watched glaciers melt away and normally frigid regions warm to un-skiable levels. SENT: 1,225 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version of 980 words is available.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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MICROSOFT-ACTIVISION — Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion to gain access to blockbuster games including Call of Duty and Candy Crush. The all-cash deal will let Microsoft accelerate mobile gaming and provide it building blocks for the metaverse, or a virtual environment. SENT: 365 words, photos.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks were sharply lower on Wall Street as investors review the latest batch of corporate earnings and continue monitoring rising inflation and the virus pandemic. SENT: 370 words, photos.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL — A preview the Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off virtually on Jan. 20 for the second year. This year’s festival will see the debut of a Kanye West docuseries, a new film from Lena Dunham and Eva Longoria’s directorial debut about the rivalry between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez in the 1990s. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 6 p.m.
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SPORTS
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TEN-AUSTRALIAN-OPEN — Top-ranked Ash Barty and defending champion Naomi Osaka play their second-round matches as they head toward a possible meeting in the fourth round at Melbourne Park. Rafael Nadal, seeking a 21st Grand Slam singles title to break a men’s record he shares with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, also is in action. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 8 p.m.
BKN-NBA-AT-75-1980S-ERVING’S-PERSPECTIVE — Hall of Famer Julius Erving says the commercial success he and other NBA players enjoyed in the 1980s didn’t just happen. The NBA champion known as Dr. J says players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan gave credit to him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But they all stood on the shoulders of others. The 71-year-old Erving continues to be an ambassador of the game. He prides himself on being a Salvation Army kid. By Julius Erving. SENT: 740 words, photos.
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The Canadian Press
