COVID-19 crush strains US hospitals . . . Across the nation, the surge of coronavirus cases is crowding large metro hospitals with Covid-19 patients, pushing occupancy against the limits of space and overwhelming nurses and doctors. More than 40% to 60% of ICU patients in some metro areas are critically ill from Covid-19. The crisis is a public-health threat that reaches far beyond major cities. The biggest hospitals in major metro areas often have specialists and lifesaving equipment lacking at smaller regional hospitals. They serve as a release valve when smaller facilities are overrun. As large hospitals fill, they close to local ambulances as well as most patient transfers, creating a far-reaching strain on regional heath-care networks. Wall Street Journal

 

COVID-19 forces military recruiters to get creative . . . Count the world of military recruiting as one more that the coronavirus crisis turned upside down in 2020. According to Army Recruiting Command, half of the nation’s youths say they know little to nothing about military service and more than 70% don’t qualify without a waiver for myriad reasons, including obesity, physical and mental health problems, and misconduct. But it was changes and restrictions across society from the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the Pentagon to take a fresh look at selling military service to American youths. “It’s a big effort, and it’s a strategic challenge that will last many years,” former SECDEF Esper said. Washington Times

 

 

No more 'he' and 'she': Pelosi remaking U.S. House to become gender neutral . . . He, she, father and mother — such terms may no longer be welcome in the upcoming 117th Congress if new changes to House rules are approved. The office will “honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral," according to an Advisory. “In clause 8(c)(3) of rule XXIII, strike ‘father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in- law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, grandson, or granddaughter’ and insert ‘parent, child, sibling, parent’s sibling, first cousin, sibling’s child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, or grandchild." Washington Times. 

 

 

Anti-US marches in Mideast mark anniversary of Soleimani killing . . . Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets Saturday night and demanded all U.S. troops exit their country, declaring that “America is the great Satan” and marking the one-year anniversary of an airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The demonstrators in Baghdad were joined by others in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region, according to media reports. Iranian leaders tried to tap into that broad anti-American sentiment and pushed for a complete removal of U.S. forces from the Middle East. However, there have been no major reports of violence or any assaults on U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in the region. Washington Times

 

 

British judge denies US extradition request for WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange . . . A British judge ruled Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the U.S. on espionage charges because he is a suicide risk, in a move that touches on press freedoms and the international reach of the U.S. justice system. The ruling ostensibly brings to an end a legal saga that has dragged on for almost a decade and has been full of controversies that pitted Washington against rights campaigners who say the U.S. government tried to redefine what journalists can publish. U.S. prosecutors said they would appeal the ruling. USA Today

 

UK deploys more military personnel to join fight against COVID-19 . . . Hundreds of extra military personnel are being deployed across the UK to tackle COVID-19, in the biggest homeland operation the UK has ever seen in peacetime. It will take the number of armed forces working in the fight against the pandemic, codenamed Operation Rescript, to over 5,000 - more than at any point during the pandemic. Sky News

 

World stocks begin year with record highs . . . World stock markets hit record highs on Monday, the first trading day of the new year, as investors hoped the rollout of vaccines would ultimately lift a global economy decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese yuan surged nearly 1% against the dollar, while the greenback plumbed its lowest levels against a basket of peer currencies since April 2018. With the lag between a full vaccine rollout and a global economic recovery, investors will count on central banks to keep money cheap. Minutes of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting are due on Wednesday and should offer more detail on discussions about making their forward policy guidance more explicit and the chance of a further increase in asset buying this year. Reuters

 

Bitcoin slumps, slamming breaks on New Year rally . . .  Bitcoin fell sharply on Monday, losing ground from a record high of $34,800 touched a day earlier, with traders citing volatility in highly leveraged futures markets. Bitcoin fell more than 14% after earlier touching as high as $33,670, wiping out more than half its 20% rally from New Year’s Eve to a record $34,800 on Sunday. Bitcoin was last down 8% at $30,542. Reuters

 

Trump to give Nunes Medal of Freedom . . . President Trump plans to give Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor in the U.S. for a civilian. The award is intended to acknowledge “exceptional contributions” to national security, world peace or cultural and other “significant” endeavors. Nunes has been a staunch ally and defender of Trump throughout his presidency, including during the Justice Department’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and during the House’s impeachment inquiry in 2019 – probes that Trump labeled as “witch hunts.” Previous presidents have given the Medal of Freedom to members of Congress. The Hill

 

 

New US dietary guidelines reject recommendations to cut limits on sugar, alcohol . . . The feds on Tuesday issued new dietary guidelines that keep current allowances for sugar and alcohol consumption unchanged, rejecting recommendations by its scientific advisory committee to make significant cuts. The scientific committee had recommended cutting the limit for added sugars in the diet to 6% of daily calories from 10% in the current guidelines, citing rising rates of obesity and the link between obesity and health problems like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The committee also recommended lowering the limit for alcoholic beverages for men to one drink per day from two, matching the guidance for women. It pointed to research linking greater alcohol consumption to a higher risk of death. However, the new guidelines do include the scientific committee’s recommendation that children under age 2 consume no added sugars at all. Wall Street Journal