Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a new investigation into a 2019 U.S. airstrike that killed around 80 people, including dozens of women and children in Syria, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The move comes after the Times reported this month that the Pentagon attempted to keep the strike and casualties under wraps, failing to investigate the decision behind it even after questions were raised internally.
New York City officials issued an advisory Monday "strongly" recommending that people mask up indoors regardless of vaccination status to curb the spread of the newly-discovered Omicron variant.
Why it matters: Dave Chokshi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, announced the advisory in response to concerns of the new strain's potential implications.
Prosecutors have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling that led to Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction being overturned in June, AP reports.
What they're saying: “This decision as it stands will have far-reaching negative consequences beyond Montgomery County and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Supreme Court can right what we believe is a grievous wrong,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele wrote in the petition, per AP.
A federal court in Missouri has blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers at federally funded facilities in 10 states.
Why it matters: Monday's decision is the first victory for opponents of the rule, which requires health care workers to get vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022. The case is one of four lawsuits challenging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) rule and argues that the mandate will exacerbate staffing shortages.
Chris Cuomo used his contacts to garner information about the women accusing his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, of sexual harassment, as well as of emerging media coverage relating to the scandal.
Driving the news: Although the CNN anchor had previously acknowledged that he had joined strategy sessions with his brother as the scandal was unfolding, new evidence and a transcript of Chris Cuomo's interview with state investigators make clearer the level of his involvement.
Jury selection begins Tuesday for the trial of Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop last April. Here's what you need to know about the case:
The incident: Potter and another officer pulled over Wright, who was Black, in the Minneapolis suburb on April 11 for a hanging air freshener and expired tags, according to an amended criminal complaint.
Potter, who is white, shot and killed Wright while attempting to take him into custody over a separate, active arrest warrant discovered during the stop.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said she ended a call with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) after she says Boebert "doubled down on her rhetoric."
Driving the news: A video of Boebert making anti-Muslim comments to supporters emerged last week, in which she suggested Omar was mistaken for a terrorist while riding in an elevator in the U.S. Capitol and referred to the incident as a "jihad squad moment."
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot announced that it will hold a vote on Wednesday to recommend Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official, be held in criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena.
Why it matters: If the panel votes in favor and the resolution is approved by the full House, Clark would be the second person held in criminal contempt for refusing to provide information for the Jan. 6 investigation.
President Biden on Monday said that the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is "a cause for concern, not a cause for panic."
Driving the news: Biden said later this week the administration will be releasing a strategy on how "we're going to fight COVID this winter. Not with shutdowns or lockdowns, but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing and more."
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) announced Monday he will run for governor of New York in 2022.
Why it matters via Axios' Alayna Treene: Suozzi’s announcement makes him the 18th House Democrat to announce he will not seek re-election. It comes as Democrats are increasingly concerned about their prospects of keeping the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections.
President Biden will meet Monday afternoon with CEOs of big retailers, grocers and consumer-products firms to send this message, according to the White House: Products will be on shelvesfor holiday shopping.
A bipartisan group of U.S. House members chided the Biden administration for repealing a rule that would have required Medicare to pay for any medical device deemed a "breakthrough" by the FDA.
The big picture: Medical device manufacturers really wanted the rule enacted, in part, because it would have led to higher sales. Now many members of Congress who receive sizable campaign donations from the industry want the federal government to revive the rule.
Republican officials around the country are testing a creative mechanism to build loyalty with unvaccinated Americans while undermining Biden administration mandates: unemployment benefits.
Driving the news: Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee have changed their unemployment insurance rules to allow workers who are fired or quit over vaccine mandates to receive benefits.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will call on House lawmakers to pass a bill boosting funding for semiconductor manufacturing during a speech in Detroit on Monday.
Why it matters: A global chip shortage is slowing production of everything from appliances to vehicles. The Senate in June passed a bill that includes $52 billion for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, but the House has yet to act.
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper filed a lawsuit Sunday against the Defense Department, accusing the Pentagon of "censoring" his First Amendment rights by redacting aspects of his upcoming book on the Trump administration.
The big picture: Esper, who served as defense secretary from July 2019 until he was fired by then-President Trump in November last year, alleges in the suit that "significant text" is "being improperly withheld from publication" of the manuscript "under the guise of classification."
The World Health Organization called on countries Sunday not to impose travel bans on southern African nations amid concerns over the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Why it matters: The U.S. and countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific announced travel restrictions in response to Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa. It's since been identified in several European countries, Canada, Israel, Australia and Hong Kong. The WHO noted in a statement that only two southern African nations have detected the new strain.
Actor Matthew McConaughey announced Sunday he has no immediate plans to enter politics, closing the door on a potential bid for governor of Texas in 2022.
What they’re saying: "As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvale, Texas, it never occurred to me that one day I would be considered for political leadership. It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder," the Oscar-winning actor said in a video posted to Twitter.
