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What's happened so far at CES 2022
6 hours ago - TechnologyJudge drops charges against Epstein guards accused of falsifying records
7 hours ago - Politics & PolicyTheranos founder Elizabeth Holmes found guilty
10 hours ago - HealthChina's "zero COVID" challenge is getting tougher
10 hours ago - WorldOmarion makes an Omicron comeback
10 hours ago - Economy & BusinessToday’s top stories
Majority of Americans don't want to travel to the Moon
Private human spaceflight has advanced tremendously in the last year, but many ordinary people aren't ready to visit the Moon themselves, according to a new Axios/Momentive poll.
Why it matters: Private space tourism today caters to an ultra-rich clientele, but eventually the companies making a business out of sending people to space want to widen their reach to many more people.
Bannon, Trump to counterprogram Dems for Jan. 6 anniversary
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Former President Trump and fervent allies, including Steve Bannon, plan to go on the offense during Thursday's anniversary of the Capitol insurrection — in fiery contrast with House and Senate Republican leaders, who plan no events, sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.
Why it matters: The starkly differing approaches underscore tensions remaining within the GOP about how to address the deadly riot.
1 🎧 thing
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes found guilty
Photo illustration: Aïda Amer. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of blood-testing company Theranos, on Monday was found guilty of conspiracy and fraud against certain investors by a California jury.
Why it matters: Holmes was the poster child of Silicon Valley hubris, taking "fake it till you make it" to illegal extremes. She was found not guilty on several charges relating to patients and company ads in Arizona.
China's "zero COVID" challenge is getting tougher
Testing in Xi'an. Photo: VCG via Getty
In New York City, 85,476 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. In Xi’an, which has a larger population, that number was 122. But it’s the central Chinese city that’s currently living under the world’s strictest lockdown.
Why it matters: The Chinese government is going to drastic lengths to maintain its “zero COVID” policy even with more contagious variants like Omicron emerging and the rest of the world largely learning to live with the virus — including countries like Australia and New Zealand that had previously tried to keep all cases out.
Remain in Mexico expands as U.S. immigration court hearings begin
Immigrants await transfer to a U.S. Border Patrol processing center in Yuma, Ariz. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
The Biden administration brought 36 migrants back to the U.S. for court hearings on Monday under the reimposed Remain in Mexico program and expanded its enforcement of that program into San Diego, even as it continues efforts to end the policy, administration officials told reporters on a call.
The big picture: The administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene to allow them to end what's formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which forces asylum seekers at the southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases are heard.
Apple becomes first company worth $3 trillion
Photo: Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Apple on Monday became the first publicly traded company to be worth $3 trillion, the New York Times reports.
Driving the news: It comes less than two years after the company became the first to hit a $2 trillion valuation.
Congress warned of explosive Omicron spread on Capitol Hill
Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
The Capitol's attending physician on Monday urged congressional offices to shift towards remote work due to a skyrocketing coronavirus positivity rate among staff.
Why it matters: The push comes as the highly infectious Omicron variant has caused a resurgence of the pandemic across the country.
Omicron dashboard
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
- Health: FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds — CDC considering COVID test requirement as part of isolation recommendation, Fauci says — 91 cruise ships under CDC investigation following outbreaks — Back to school: Omicron edition.
- Politics: Trump surgeon general slams new CDC guidelines on isolation.
- States: Omicron threatens New Year's gym surge — Federal court denies Oklahoma's attempt to block Pentagon vaccine mandate.
- World: South Africa eases COVID restrictions, says Omicron peak has passed — COVAX head: Focusing solely on boosters is a "dangerous mistake" — Israel approves 4th COVID vaccine dose for the immunocompromised
- Variant tracker
New York AG subpoenas Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump
Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued subpoenas for two of former President Trump's children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, as part of a civil investigation, according to court documents filed Monday.
Why it matters: The move represents another escalation in the attorney general's investigation into the former president's business practices. James requested a deposition from Trump in early December.
Schumer promises vote on Senate rules changes by MLK Day
Photo: Sarah SIlbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Senate Democrats will use Thursday's anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to propel their efforts to pass sweeping voting rights legislation.
Driving the news: In a letter to colleagues Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the Senate will debate and vote on changing Senate rules if Republicans block a vote on the Freedom to Vote Act backed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Schumer promised a vote on Senate reforms by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 17.
FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds
A health care worker administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a child at an Oklahoma County Health Department Vaccine Clinic on Nov. 17, 2021. Photo: Nick Oxford/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Food and Drug Administration expanded COVID-19 vaccine booster eligibility on Monday to allow 12- to 15-year-olds to receive a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Why it matters: The expansion comes as coronavirus cases soar to record numbers due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, raising concerns over hospitals' ability to respond to the anticipated deluge of patients.
Biden's monopoly gambit
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Monopolies cause inflation — so cracking down on monopolies will cause inflation to decline. That's the claim of the Biden administration, anyway.
Why it matters: It's very hard to find good-faith arguments on any side of this debate. But one thing is clear: The U.S. government is currently being broadly blamed for rapidly rising prices. If inflation does decline, for any reason, then it will surely claim credit.
Ron DeSantis under pressure as Florida breaks its COVID case record
Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks after a bill signing on Nov. 18, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File
As coronavirus cases surge in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis' absence in public and the press has been a source of national debate.
What's happening: While Florida broke its single-day COVID-19 record with 75,900 cases on New Year's Eve, DeSantis had made one public appearance in the prior two weeks — a Fox News spot, per Florida Politics.
Eric Adams dials 911 on Day 1 as NYC mayor
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is sworn in on Jan. 1. Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
New York City's charismatic new mayor, Eric Adams, was sworn in just after midnight on New Year's Day, promising to bring a fresh set of eyes to a thankless job in a crime-ridden and COVID-weary town.
Why it matters: New York's urban problems — always a national bellwether — have spiraled during the pandemic. This tough-on-crime mayor, a longtime NYC police captain, vows to clean things up but has his hands full.
Back to school: Omicron edition
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Months after Delta threatened the fall back-to-school ritual, COVID-19 is again complicating kids' return to the classroom.
Why it matters: While government officials worked to convince school administrators and parents over the last several days that kids could safely get back to in-person learning after the holidays, the reality on the ground amid the spread of Omicron is much more complicated.
Car shortage could change buying behavior forever
Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Car dealers' annual year-end sell-a-thons have turned into wait-a-thons for many shoppers unable to find the vehicle they want on dealer lots — but that could be about to change as some companies modernize the way they sell their cars.
Why it matters: Supply chain disruptions could have a silver lining for automakers if Americans can be trained to order the exact car they want — color, features, bells and whistles — and then wait a month or so for it to be delivered.
Extreme weather could get even worse in 2022
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Scientists say there's reason to expect even more menacing extreme weather disasters in 2022, after a year in which extreme weather and climate events, from the Pacific Northwest heat wave to the Texas cold snap, affected us all.
Why it matters: Extreme weather events are the most tangible, expensive and often deadly ways in which we're experiencing global warming. This past year brought the uncomfortable realization that even scientists' worst-case scenarios don't fully capture what the climate system is already capable of.