Kyodo News reports: Japan on Tuesday banned new entries by foreigners globally for at least one month in an attempt to stave off the new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the measure, reversing a three-week relaxation of travel restrictions, is needed to “avoid the worst-case scenario.” Additionally, 14 countries and regions, including Britain and …

The Orange County Register reports: A 26-year-old North Hills man accused of entering the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riot in Washington D.C. was taken into custody earlier this month and is now facing federal charges. Edward Badalian is facing a variety of federal charges, including conspiracy, obstruction, entering a restricted building and theft and destruction of government …

Not at all surprising: The US intelligence community “struggled” to brief President-elect Donald Trump in 2016, achieving “only limited success” in educating and developing a relationship with the incoming president, according to a newly released unclassified history of the transition period published by the CIA’s in-house academic center. Trump rarely, if at all, read the daily classified briefing book prepared …

CNN reports: President Joe Biden on Monday gave his latest update to the nation on the new Omicron coronavirus variant as federal health officials are bracing for the first cases of the new variant to be detected in the US. Officials briefed Biden for approximately 45 minutes Sunday on the new variant and again on Monday morning, with a heavy …

The Hill reports: A Republican lawmaker who previously served as White House doctor under former presidents Trump and Obama claims Democrats will use the new coronavirus variant of concern to cheat in the midterm elections. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) spoke out on news of the variant of concern Saturday, saying the strain would serve as a pretext for absentee voting, …

Posted today to Franklin Graham’s Facebook page: In his 1933 inauguration speech, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” There’s a lot of truth to that statement. The new Omicron variant of COVID-19 is striking fear in the hearts of people around the world. European countries as well as the U.S. have …

The New York Times reports: Representative Thomas Suozzi, a Long Island Democrat, intends to announce on Monday that he will enter the race for governor of New York, broadening the field of candidates challenging the incumbent, Kathy Hochul, according to five people who have spoken with the congressman and his team in recent days. Mr. Suozzi, who has most recently …

CNBC reports: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is expected to step down from his executive role, sources tell CNBC’s David Faber. Twitter stock jumped more than 11% on the news. Dorsey currently serves as both the CEO of Twitter and Square, his digital payments company. Twitter stakeholder Elliott Management had sought to replace Jack Dorsey as CEO in 2020 before the …

Reuters reports: Botswana’s Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalised gay sex, a decision hailed by gay community as establishing the southern African country as a “true democracy”. Monday’s decision in effect struck off two sections of the penal code that had outlawed homosexuality. Before the 2019 High Court ruling, which was praised by international organisations …

Washington DC’s ABC News affiliate reports: “Gifts from the Heart” is the theme of President Joe Biden’s first White House Christmas. First lady Jill Biden was scheduled on Monday to unveil decorations matching the theme, said to be inspired by people the couple met as they traveled the country this year. “The things we hold sacred unite us and transcend …

The Associated Press reports: With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine. “This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, said. “It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is …

Mediaite reports: Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers tweeted a photo of late U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy on Saturday, with text encouraging people to follow in his footsteps of getting, “rid of the communists.” Rogers has remained consistent in her messaging against communism, as earlier this year she suggested that Labor Day is a “communist holiday.” Rogers joined Senator Ted Cruz …

The CBC reports: After the discovery of two cases of the omicron variant in the nation’s capital, Ottawa Public Health is advising travellers who visited several African countries recently to self-isolate in order to reduce transmission. The two cases, confirmed Sunday by Public Health Ontario, are the first omicron variants discovered in Canada. Out of an abundance of caution, Ottawa’s …

The New Jersey Globe reports: Assembly Republicans are planning to challenge a new rule that would ban lawmakers from entering the statehouse if they can’t provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test at their next session on December 2. In a virtual meeting on Wednesday, GOP legislators agreed that if some of their colleagues are blocked from entering …

The Guardian reports: Dutch police have arrested a married couple who fled a quarantine hotel to get a flight out of the country, despite at least one of them testing positive for Covid on arrival in the Netherlands from South Africa, where the new Omicron variant was first identified. The Portuguese woman and Spanish man were apprehended in their seats …

The New York Times reports: Former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper on Sunday sued the agency he once led, accusing officials at the Pentagon of improperly blocking significant portions of an upcoming memoir about his tumultuous tenure under President Donald J. Trump. The allegations by Mr. Esper, whom Mr. Trump fired shortly after losing his re-election bid last November, are …

The Texas Tribune reports: Actor Matthew McConaughey on Sunday removed himself from consideration as a potential candidate for governor after months of toying with a campaign. In a video posted to his Twitter account, McConaughey, who lives in Austin, said he was honored to be considered for “political leadership.” “It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder,” McConaughey said. “It …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Rocker Bryan Adams on Saturday posted a new update from Milan, Italy where he was taken to the hospital after testing positive for Covid upon arrival at the Milan Malpensa airport on Thursday. This was his second positive test in less than a month after another one on Oct. 30 led to him pulling out from his …

Uproxx reports: The day after Fox & Friends hosts suggested that Joe Biden is making up new strains to stop from doing his job (or something), South Carolina representative Nancy Mace went on the network to say something even more dangerous: maybe catching a deadly and highly transmissible disease is better than getting a safe, effective, and free vaccine. “One …

Variety reports: On the red stairs above TKTS in Times Square, as the first flurries of the winter season drifted down on the city, members of every Broadway company—joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Kathryn Gallagher and Lauren Patton—gathered in a chorus to sing “Sunday,” the heartrending act one finale to Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” …