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First Confirmed US Case of Omicron Coronavirus Variant Detected in California The United States’ first confirmed case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been identified in California, according to a source familiar. The World Health Organization designates Omicron a “variant of concern.” In a technical brief released this week, WHO noted that the variant poses a “very high” global risk. The variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa, and has since been detected in several countries. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/health/us-omicron-variant-confirmed-case/index.html

SpaceX Launches 4 Amateurs on Private Earth-Circling Trip SpaceX’s first private flight blasted off Wednesday night with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor, the most ambitious leap yet in space tourism. It was the first time a rocket streaked toward orbit with an all-amateur crew — no professional astronauts. https://apnews.com/article/spacex-lifestyle-health-florida-travel-31a07f6a9f35d4a33880cb971f78452f

Last Troops Exit Afghanistan, Ending America’s Longest War The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war. https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81

US, Afghan Officials: At Least 72 Killed in Airport Attack An Afghan official says at least 60 Afghans were killed and another 143 were wounded in the attack outside Kabul airport. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. U.S. officials say 12 military service members were also killed in the attack outside the airport. https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1

Taliban Sweep into Afghan Capital after Government Collapses The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5

At Least 304 Dead, 1,800 Hurt as Powerful Quake Slams Haiti A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people and injuring at least 1,800 others as buildings tumbled into rubble. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients. https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-haiti-earthquakes-e067bc2ba933fb40c6d98d34a41a7729

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resigning Over Sexual Harassment Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns-17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34

‘Code Red’: UN Scientists Warn of Worsening Global Warming Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.” https://apnews.com/article/europe-science-climate-environment-and-nature-united-nations-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83

New York AG Says Gov. Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Broke Laws A five-month investigation has found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and violated federal and state laws while creating a “climate of fear” in the workplace, New York state Attorney General Letitia James said on Tuesday. The inquiry showed that Cuomo engaged in unwanted groping, kissing and hugging, and made inappropriate comments, James told a news briefing, adding that the Democratic governor’s office had become a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur.” https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-ag-says-probe-found-gov-cuomo-sexually-harrassed-multiple-women-broke-2021-08-03/

Hundreds Missing and at Least 69 Are Dead in Western Europe Flooding Following a day of frantic rescue efforts and orders to evacuate towns rapidly filling with water unloosed by violent storms, the German authorities said late Thursday that after confirming dozens of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 other people. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/world/europe/flooding-germany-belgium-switzerland-netherlands.amp.html

Billionaire Richard Branson Reaches Space in His Own Ship Swashbuckling billionaire Richard Branson hurtled into space aboard his own winged rocket ship Sunday, bringing astro-tourism a step closer to reality and beating out his exceedingly richer rival Jeff Bezos. https://apnews.com/article/virgin-galactic-launch-richard-branson-37fd721264b1421f8a1223ee5e5626e3

‘Overdue’: Biden Sets Aug. 31 for US Exit from Afghanistan President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-government-and-politics-86f939c746c7bc56bb9f11f095a95366

Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse Assassinated at Home Gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the unstable Caribbean country that was already enduring an escalation of gang violence, anti-government protests and a recent surge in coronavirus infections. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-killed-b56a0f8fec0832028bdc51e8d59c6af2

Trump Organization Is Charged in 15-Year Tax Scheme The Trump Organization, the real estate business that catapulted Donald J. Trump to tabloid fame, television riches and ultimately the White House, was charged Thursday with fraud and tax crimes in connection with what prosecutors said was a 15-year-long scheme to compensate a top executive off the books. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been conducting the investigation, also accused the executive, Allen H. Weisselberg, Mr. Trump’s long-serving and trusted chief financial officer, of avoiding taxes on $1.7 million in income. He faced grand larceny, tax fraud and other charges. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/nyregion/allen-weisselberg-charged-trump-organization.html

Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary During Iraq War, Is Dead at 88 Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense for Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George W. Bush, who presided over America’s Cold War strategies in the 1970s and, in the new world of terrorism decades later, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, died on Tuesday at his home in Taos, N.M. He was 88. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/us/politics/donald-rumsfeld-dead.html

Bill Cosby Freed as Court Overturns His Sex Assault Conviction Bill Cosby had his conviction for sexual assault overturned by a Pennsylvania appeals court on Wednesday and was freed from prison, a dramatic reversal in a case had represented the first high-profile sexual assault trial to unfold in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/arts/television/bill-cosby-release-conviction.html

Many Feared Dead After Florida Beachfront Condo Collapses A wing of a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed with a roar in a town outside Miami early Thursday, killing at least one person and trapping residents in rubble and twisted metal. Rescuers pulled out dozens of survivors and continued to look for more. Nearly 100 people were still unaccounted for at midday, authorities said, raising fears that the death toll could climb sharply. But officials did not know how many were in the tower when it fell around 1:30 a.m. https://apnews.com/article/miami-building-collapses-25ee9ff94dd07d2a0ae3da742a6cb8dd

Iranian Hard-Liner Ebrahim Raisi Wins Presidential Vote Iran’s ultraconservative judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi, has been elected president after a vote that many Iranians skipped, seeing it as rigged in his favor. The Interior Ministry announced the final results on Saturday, saying Mr. Raisi had won with nearly 18 million of 28.9 million ballots cast in the voting a day earlier. Turnout was 48.8 percent — a significant decline from the last presidential election, in 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/world/middleeast/iran-election-president-raisi.html

Biden Signs Bill Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president. https://apnews.com/article/biden-juneteenth-federal-holiday-9bb62a3448376e05d87ac79cf27970d2

New Israeli Government Wins Majority Vote, Ending Netanyahu Tenure Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as Israel's prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new "government of change" led by nationalist Naftali Bennett. Heading into opposition, Netanyahu, 71, the most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, pledged he would soon return to power. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-knesset-vote-new-government-end-netanyahus-record-reign-2021-06-13/