Thursday, December 21

🚨NATION

📌 CDC: US has not yet hit peak COVID & flu for season; Peak RSV is over (NBC NEWS)

📌 Flood threat increasing across California, with over 20 million under flood alerts, including Los Angeles and San Diego (CNN)

📌 President Biden getting frustrated that it is hard to showcase his infrastructure accomplishments (CNN)

📌 Nationwide swatting spree targeting Jewish institutions appears coordinated, coming from outside US: FBI (ABC NEWS)

📌 NYC lawmakers ban solitary confinement in its jails (NBC NEWS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 War Threat: Xi told Biden he plans to “reunify” China & Taiwan (NBC NEWS)

📌 Hamas rejects latest Israeli offer for hostage release/truce; “very serious” talks continue (MO NEWS)

📌 US, Venezuela swap prisoners: Maduro ally for 10 Americans, plus fugitive contractor 'Fat Leonard' (AP)

📌 India’s Narendra Modi breaks silence on US murder plot allegation (BBC)

📌 EU reaches ‘landmark’ agreement on asylum reform but deal still faces challenge of ratification (CNN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 HUGE MERGER: Warner Bros. Discovery in talks to merge with Paramount (AXIOS)

📌 Over a half-billion dollars in railroad freight stuck at Texas border crossings amid migrant battle (CNBC)

📌 Whiskey distillers cheer as EU, U.S. strike deal to avoid 50% tariff on exports to Europe (CNBC)

📌 AI image-generators are being trained on explicit photos of children, a study shows (AP)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Maury Povich helps Denver Zoo reveal the paternity of baby orangutan (PEOPLE)

📌 Meghan Markle kind-of returns to acting in Instagram coffee ad (HUFF POST)

📌 Influencer fined $1 million over 'misleading' charity cake campaign (BUSINESS INSIDER)

📌 Oregon State and Washington State near agreement to join West Coast Conference as affiliate members (ESPN)