State

Illinois records pandemic high of more than 200,000 COVID cases in one week

Daily cases of COVID-19 in Illinois have risen to their highest points since the pandemic began. In the past week there were 201,428 new cases, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday. (Credit: Illinois Department of Public Health)

• IDPH, ISBE to update COVID isolation guidelines to align with CDC

• Parents sue Chicago Teachers Union over school closures, 'illegal strike'

• Schools fighting for local control over mask policy face nonrecognition status

• Some Republicans critical of Democrats delayed actions on enhancing penalty for assaulting social workers

• Rural homelessness is increasing, advocate says it can be hard to see

• Measure would ban non-disclosure agreements in Illinois economic development deals

• Lawmaker introduces bill for Space Force license plates

Nation

Three Georgia men sentenced to life in prison for 'chilling' Arbery murder

Travis and Gregory McMichael will now spend the rest of their lives in prison for the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery but Judge Timothy Walmsley ruled that William "Roddie" Bryan, also sentenced to life in prison, could seek parole after 30 years.

• Flooding hits western U.S., winter storm in the east

• Omicron surge pushes U.S. COVID hospitalizations toward record high

• Factbox-When and how will Americans get free COVID-19 tests promised by Biden?

Government, Politics, Campaigns  & Elections

International

Aid workers say Ethiopia air strike in northwest Tigray killed 56 people

A survivor of an air strike by Ethiopian government forces receives treatment at the Shire Shul General hospital in the town of Dedebit, in northern region of Tigray, Ethiopia January 8, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer

• At least 16 stranded snow-tourists die at Pakistan hill station

• Kazakhstan arrests ex-security chief as it presses crackdown on protests

  • Explainer: From stability to turmoil - what's going on in Kazakhstan

• Hong Kong leader orders probe of 13 officials who went to COVID-hit party

U.S. forces in S.Korea raise COVID-19 alert amid record infections

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Courtesy Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS .

• Australia treasurer tests positive for COVID-19 as daily cases soar past 100,000

• Poland's PM to announce anti-inflationary measures Tuesday, gov't spokesperson says

• U.N. launches Sudanese political process to end post-coup crisis

• Portugal's Socialists retain lead ahead of election but gap narrows - poll

Science, Medicine, Technology & Environment

Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine protects children against rare COVID-19 complication - CDC

A vaccinator draws a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pediatric vaccine in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah Beier