Thursday Briefing: Large holiday gatherings not safe even if boosted, Fauci says

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, December 23, 2021 by Hani Richter Hello Here's what you need to know. Large holiday gatherings in U.S. not safe even if boosted, Fauci says, U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon carjacked at gunpoint, and case data and vaccine news mark small victories in Omicron battle. Today's biggest stories Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks about the Omicron coronavirus variant during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque      U.S. Americans vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 can be with family over the holidays but attending large gatherings is not safe, even for those who received a booster dose, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up disputes over the Biden administration's nationwide vaccine-or-testing COVID-19 mandate for large businesses and a separate vaccine requirement for healthcare workers. Delaware state police have taken into custody five suspects after U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon was robbed of her automobile at gunpoint in a Philadelphia park on Wednesday. Jurors ended their third day of deliberations without reaching a verdict in the trial of Kimberly Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who mistook her handgun for her Taser and killed Black motorist Daunte Wright. Jurors deliberating in the sexual abuse trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in New York have so far sent several notes to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan. To be sure, the notes do not reveal what jurors are thinking, but they do provide a glimpse into some of the evidence they have been discussing since late Monday afternoon. Doreen Vickers, 83, waits as a health worker fills a syringe with a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Appleton Village Pharmacy, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Widnes, Britain January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff World Two vaccine makers said their shots protected against the Omicron coronavirus variant as UK data suggested it may cause proportionally fewer hospital cases than the Delta strain, though public health experts warned the battle against COVID-19 was far from over. Russia wants to avoid conflict with Ukraine and the West, President Vladimir Putin said, demanding an "immediate" response from the United States and its allies to Moscow's demand for security guarantees. Rising COVID-19 infections in China's city of Xian have spurred a lockdown of its 13 million residents, with stretches of highway eerily bare, as many people queued in the cold to get their noses swabbed at testing sites. Nigeria destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines in a bid to assure a wary public that they have been taken out of circulation. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised outgoing Chinese Ambassador Li Jinjun for helping to improve relations between Pyongyang and Beijing, state media reported, as the envoy left office after seven years in the post. Tesla Chief Executive Office Elon Musk speaks at his company's factory in Fremont, California, June 22, 2012, as the car company began delivering its Model S electric sedan. REUTERS/Noah Berger Business Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said he was "almost done" with his stock sales after selling over $15 billion worth in more than one month. A Moscow court said it had fined Twitter 3 million roubles ($40,920) for failing to delete content Russia deems illegal, the latest in a string of penalties against foreign technology firms. The United States authorized Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 pill for people ages 12 and older at risk of severe illness, the first oral and at-home treatment as well as a new tool against the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Chinese gaming and social media company Tencent will pay out a $16.4 billion dividend by distributing most of its JD.com stake, weakening its ties to the e-commerce firm and raising questions about its plans for other holdings. A weak yen may be hurting Japanese households more than in the past, as the country's increasing reliance on more expensive raw material imports pushes up the cost of living, Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said. Quote of the day "Let's be careful not to extrapolate what we are seeing in South Africa across the continent, or across the world" John Nkengasong Director of the Africa CDC S.Africa Omicron data should not be extrapolated to all countries- Africa CDC Video of the day Hong Kong university removes Tiananmen statue A leading Hong Kong university has dismantled and removed a statue from its campus site that for more than two decades has commemorated pro-democracy protesters killed during China's Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. And finally… Lick it up: Japan professor creates 'tele-taste' TV screen A Japanese professor has developed a prototype lickable TV screen that can imitate food flavours, another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigates Legal news The Great Reboot Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036