Government

ABC News reports: One of the world’s strictest anti-tobacco laws has been imposed in Mexico, setting in force a total ban on smoking in public places, including hotels, beaches and parks. The new law, which is part of the country’s General Law for Tobacco Control reform, came into force on Sunday. It will also see the total ban on the …

CNN reports: The Federal Aviation Administration announced it is starting a probe into how a commercial airliner taxied in front of a flight that was taking off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday evening. The crew of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 aborted its takeoff, ultimately stopping within 1,000 feet of the taxiing American Airlines Boeing 777, the …

Winston-Salem’s NPR affiliate reports: For the first time, “GAYPRIDE” is available as a vanity license plate in North Carolina. It’s one of over 200 terms that were removed from the state’s prohibited plates list after a review late last year. As recently as last year, the “Do No Issue” list included “GAYPRIDE,” “LESBIAN,” and “QUEER” – entries that prompted DMV …

ABC News reports: The ground stop and Federal Aviation Administration systems failures Wednesday morning that impacted thousands of flights across the U.S. appear to have been the result of a mistake that occurred during routine scheduled systems maintenance, according to a senior official briefed on the internal review. An engineer “replaced one file with another,” the official said, not realizing …

Roll Call reports: After nearly three years of pandemic- and insurrection-related security restrictions, tourists next week will be allowed into the House gallery, and unescorted visitors on official business will be able to enter House office buildings. The changes will take place as Republicans, some of whom have vocally fought against COVID-19 restrictions, are sworn into a majority of House …

NBC News reports: Lawmakers and staffers must delete TikTok from any House-issued mobile phones and are prohibited from downloading the popular app on such devices, according to an internal memo obtained by NBC News. The memo, sent Tuesday by Catherine L. Szpindor, the chief administrative officer of the House, said the ban comes after her office’s cybersecurity unit found TikTok …

The Associated Press reports: Major U.S. airlines were broadsided by the massive weekend winter storm that swept across large swaths of the country but had largely recovered heading into Monday, except for one. Problems at Southwest Airlines appeared to snowball after the worst of the storm passed. The disparity has triggered a closer look at Southwest operations by the U.S. …

The Hill reports: President Biden spoke by phone with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Monday and offered federal assistance as New York deals with a massive winter storm that has claimed more than two dozen lives. Biden offered federal help to address the impacts of the “historic winter storm,” the White House said, adding he’s directed officials to …

The Wall Street Journal reports: A pharmaceutical nonprofit was granted priority review from the Food and Drug Administration to make an inexpensive overdose-reversal drug for use without a prescription. Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc. said its 3 milligram nasal spray naloxone formulation, called Rivive, had three times higher concentration in the blood of 36 participants than naloxone delivered as a shot. …

The New York Post reports: Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the entirety of New York in preparation for the massive storm that’s forecast to wallop the northeast over the holiday weekend. The measure will go into effect at 6 a.m. Friday when Winter Storm Elliott — dubbed a “once-in-a-generation” weather event by the National …

The Daily Beast reports: Nearly 900 would-be Rat Czars have responded to New York City’s solicitation for a citywide director of rodent mitigation. “It went wild,” a city spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Friday. “It really did, which is good.” The applicants included a number of cats. At least one feline’s submission had a photo attached. “It was a …

Politico reports: The Jan. 6 select committee is preparing to vote on urging the Justice Department to pursue at least three criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, including insurrection. The report that the select panel is expected to consider on Monday afternoon, described to POLITICO by two people familiar with its contents, reflects some recommendations from a subcommittee that …

The New York Times reports: Pet stores in New York State will soon be prohibited from selling dogs, cats and rabbits under a legislative ban meant to stem the sale of animals from breeding facilities that animal rights groups say subject pets to inhumane conditions. The legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday means that New York will join …

CNN Business reports: The Senate passed legislation Wednesday evening to ban TikTok from US government devices, in a move designed to limit perceived information-security risks stemming from the social media app. The vote by unanimous consent approved the bill authored by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. The move marks lawmakers’ latest step against the short-form video app that has become popular …

ABC News reports: The rule, proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would ban ads that market Medicare Advantage plans with confusing words, imagery or logos. The new regulation would also prohibit ads that don’t specifically mention a health insurance plan by name. Nationwide TV commercials featuring celebrities have also misled some customers by telling viewers they’ll get …

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available through covidtests.gov starting Thursday, a senior administration official said. The administration is putting personnel and equipment …

From the Justice Department: A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment today charging an Ohio man for allegedly sending threatening communications to an election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, Joshua Russell, 44, of Bucyrus, allegedly left the following voicemail for an election official with the Arizona …

The New York Times reports: It has been 15 years since Nancy Pelosi made history as the first woman to be elected speaker of the House. On Wednesday, that history was placed on display on the walls of the Capitol, when Ms. Pelosi’s official portrait was unveiled and set to be hung in the Speaker’s Lobby, adorned until now only …

New York City’s NBC affiliate reports: The MTA is sniffing around on testing pee-detection technology that alerts staff to clean wet and smelly messes in subway elevators. Richard Davey, president of New York City Transit, said Monday at a City Council transportation committee hearing that the agency is exploring urine sensors in station elevators that sometimes double as de facto …

Roll Call reports: Democrats and Republicans have reached a topline spending agreement for a fiscal 2023 omnibus, three of the four top appropriators on Capitol Hill said late Tuesday. Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement that negotiators had “reached a bipartisan, bicameral framework that should allow us to finish an omnibus appropriations bill that can …