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IMPORTANT
| | | Starting Gun | 20-Strong Group Puts Together Centrist Plan on Gun Safety The Senate spent the weekend hammering out the details of a bipartisan gun safety deal — but don’t you call it “reform.” A special group, made up of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans and backed by President Joe Biden, has agreed to deeper background checks for would-be gun buyers, which would include reviewing juvenile and mental health records for anyone under 21, as well as further restrictions on domestic abusers. New York Republican state Sen. Chris Jacobs, who abandoned his reelection campaign after losing party support for backing gun reform, has called for an end to polarization and, even more unlikely, Republican infighting. (Sources: NYT, Politico) |
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| | | Glued to the Screen | Jan. 6 Hearing to Hit Screens for a Second Night Thought that was blockbuster TV? Just wait for the Jan. 6 committee’s next installment on Monday night. The second hearing will focus on the claims by former President Donald Trump and his close associates that he had won the election and it had been stolen, calling on Trump’s former campaign manager Bill Stepien, ousted Fox editor Chris Stirewalt and a string of connected lawyers. Witnesses are expected to testify about the so-called “seven-part plan” to “steal back” the election, as previously flagged by Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria says the investigation has proven the Trump team had tried to pull “every lever of government” in 2020. (Sources: WaPo, The Hill) |
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| | | Search Continues | Clothing Discovered in Amazonian Hunt for Journalist, Expert Indigenous volunteers searching for British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira have found personal items belonging to the two near the Amazon river where they were last seen. Volunteers say they were guided into an area of the forest by a “spirit,” eventually finding clothing submerged in water. The pair went missing in the Javari region, a heavily forested area home to many uncontacted tribes. As the search drags on into the second week, hope is fading. Phillips’ Brazilian mother-in-law wrote on social media that “they are no longer with us” and said they were now part of the jungle areas they cared so much about. (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | | | Hate Speech | Evictions, Arrests of Muslims as India’s Polarization Deepens Religious violence continues in India where Muslim communities in the state of Uttar Pradesh have been forced from their homes following riots in recent weeks. The riots, reportedly inflamed by anti-Muslim remarks made on television by Nupur Sharma, a spokeswoman of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, sparked protest from Muslims in India as well as Muslim-majority neighbors. In response, security forces have evicted and are now demolishing the homes of local Muslim leaders, while in Indian Kashmir protesters have been arrested for inflammatory speech. They’re the latest incidents in increasing racial and religious division in the country linked to the rise of the Hindu-nationalist BJP. (Sources: BBC, Reuters) |
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| | | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Deleted. Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald has issued an apology and deleted a gossip column outing homegrown comedian Rebel Wilson following an outcry from readers and Australian LGBTQ organizations. (Source: AFP) Protocols. The U.K.’s House of Commons will today publish legislation allowing ministers to drop parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, an agreement keeping the country in the EU single market and the center of Brexit debates — but what’s in it will be a surprise, say parties outside the government. (Source: BBC) Squeaker. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to hold his centrist majority in parliamentary elections despite a strong showing from the left. (Source: Al Jazeera) |
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INTRIGUING
| | | Vax 4 Kids | FDA Backs Pfizer for Infants and Toddlers Before Decision This Week It may just be a matter of time before children under the age of 5 can be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration released its analysis of a child-size Pfizer vaccine ahead of a decision on Wednesday and it looks promising. The age group — the last to be vaccinated in the U.S. — is less likely to contract the virus but faces disproportionately high hospitalization and death rates, prompting a desperate cry to have the little ones vaccinated. The FDA has previously made a similar announcement on Moderna for kids. Outside experts will consider the evidence on Wednesday before a vote. (Source: AP) |
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| | | | | Dreamgirl | Jennifer Hudson Picks Up Tony, Officially an EGOT Icon She’s now a certified legend. Hudson nabbed a Tony Award for her role in producing the Broadway hit A Strange Loop at the stage awards Sunday. That puts the T in her EGOT — the showbiz quadfecta of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — making her only the 17th performer in history to hit the awards high note. The musical, revolving around a Black queer artist writing a musical about a Black queer artist and so on in the titular loop, was an early favorite for the Tonys with 11 nominations and has won best musical and best book. (Sources: Playbill, Variety) |
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| | | OK, Computer | Has a Google Chatbot Passed the Turing Test? It’s a test for AI — and also for HR. The Google engineer who claimed a chatbot from the internet giant is sentient has been placed on leave. Blake Lemoine told the Washington Post that Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications, better known as LaMDA, has developed so far it comes across as a child “that happens to know physics.” Others in the AI space have made similar comments, but Google isn’t too thrilled. A spokesperson has rejected Lemoine’s claims and added he’s been suspended for violating confidentiality clauses. (Sources: WaPo, Engadget) |
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| | | (Protein) Chips Ahoy | Daredevil Dad Readies for Tiny Boat Voyage Across Atlantic Andrew Bedwell plans to sail from the U.K. to Newfoundland, Canada — a distance of 1,900 miles across the Atlantic. All in a tiny 3-foot-long boat. Bedwell expects the journey to take around three months and he’ll survive on a diet of around 1,000 calories a day, thanks to a vile-tasting protein material that has been molded to the interior of his craft in an effort to save space. The trip has garnered a lot of attention for the daring dad who always likes “to have a real challenge on the go.” But he readily admits his wife “often feels I’m crackers.” (Source: Daily Mail) |
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| | | Game, Set, Cash | Liverpool Set to Shell Out $100 Million for Striker The Premier League soccer team offered 22-year-old Darwin Núñez a massive six-year $79 million contract with $26 million in extras. It’s a huge payday for the Uruguayan, but Liverpool — and Manchester United, who was also after him — thinks he’s worth it. Núñez scored 34 times for Lisbon’s Benfica last season, including in a match when the Portuguese side beat his new team. A medical exam Monday in the U.K. is the last box to tick — but with such a high price tag, commentators worry that Núñez’s infamous social media glass jaw could be easily shattered if he fails to live up to expectations. (Sources: Sky Sport, The Athletic) |
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