Good morning. It's Friday, Dec. 3, and we're covering a short-term deal to keep the government open, charges in an Ohio police shooting, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].
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Congressional leaders announced yesterday a short-term deal that would provide funding for federal operations through Feb. 18. The agreement would avoid a potential government shutdown ahead of a deadline at midnight tonight.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 221-212, followed by Senate approval by a vote of 69-28. The Senate vote came despite opposition from a number of GOP senators who object to use of federal funding to carry out vaccine mandates for workers at federal agencies. The legislation includes an additional $7B to help resettle Afghan refugees.
In related news, Treasury officials have warned the debt ceiling—the limit on how much the US can borrow to cover its obligations—must be raised by Dec. 15.
See our guide on how the federal budget works here.
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White House Plots for Omicron
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President Joe Biden announced his winter COVID-19 strategy yesterday in a speech at the National Institutes of Health, part of an effort to keep schools and businesses open in the face of a potential winter wave of COVID-19 cases.
The strategy includes reimbursement for at-home tests, an extension of the federal mask mandate for airlines and public transit through March 18, and an effort to encourage vaccines and boosters by launching hundreds of family vaccination centers. Also included are strict requirements for international air travelers, including demonstration of a negative test by inbound travelers within 24 hours of their flight, reduced from the current three-day policy.
Meanwhile, the US identified its second and third cases involving the omicron variant, one in Minnesota and one in Colorado. The findings suggest the strain is likely already circulating within the country. Almost 75% of Americans over 5 years old have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The US averages around 85,000 new cases per day, with just over 850 daily deaths (see stats).
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A former Ohio sheriff's deputy was charged with murder yesterday in the fatal shooting of Columbus resident Casey Goodson Jr. last December. The shooting led to a string of racial justice protests in the city.
Jason Meade, a now-retired 17-year veteran of the county sheriff's office, shot Goodson five times in the back while searching for a fugitive as part of a US Marshals task force. The 23-year-old Goodson, who was at his grandmother's house at the time, was not related to the search. Meade initially said Goodson drove by him waving a gun but later withdrew the statement; Goodson's family says he was holding a Subway sandwich, though a gun was recovered from the scene (Goodson had a license to carry).
Details of the encounter are muddled, with no body-camera or dashcam footage available. Goodson's family separately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Meade yesterday.
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
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> Meghan Markle wins court appeal against Mail on Sunday for breach of privacy after the UK tabloid published a private letter the Duchess of Sussex sent to her father (More)
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> Scientists identify reaction likely behind blood clotting issues caused by the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine; protein attracted by the vaccine can trigger an immune response in rare cases, with antibodies clumping together (More)
> Google's DeepMind used for the first time to help mathematicians identify patterns in unsolved problems; breakthrough led to new discoveries in knot and symmetry theories (More)
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In partnership with NowRX
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> US stock markets rebound (S&P 500 +1.4%, Dow +1.8%, Nasdaq +0.8%) after Wednesday’s losses on omicron variant fears (More)
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> Biden administration strikes deal with Mexico; will restart Trump-era policy that requires most migrants seeking asylum to stay south of the US border while their cases are adjudicated (More)
> Michigan prosecutor pushes for charges against parents of 15-year-old who killed at least four and injured seven others in a Tuesday school shooting north of Detroit (More)
> Germany to institute COVID-19 restrictions barring unvaccinated residents from nonessential stores, restaurants, and other venues (More)
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Boston Globe | Emily Sweeney. How one of the country's most wanted fugitives managed to live a normal life in a Boston suburb. (Read)
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Take Two Shrooms and Call Me in the Morning
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Walrus | Brad Badelt. On the medical promise of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms—if use of the substance can overcome legal barriers. (Read)
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Wired | Adam Rogers. Can brain-computer interfaces be used to upload fabricated memories into our brains? (Read, paywall)
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ETCETERA—BEST OF NOVEMBER 2021
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- President George H.W. Bush
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