In today’s newsletter: A new type of flu is increasing rapidly. The Trump administration halted child care payments to the state of Minnesota. And, witnesses described an explosion in Venezuela, raising concerns over US military action against the South American country.
Here’s what to know today.
A New variant of influenza AWhat has been called the “super flu” is spreading faster than usual this season.
“Looking at the trajectory of the curve, it’s actually a very sharp increase that we’re seeing, and it’s nowhere close to peaking or ending,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, a senior infectious disease physician at Mass General Brigham in Boston.
The dominant, mutated H3N2 strain emerged over the summer and includes changes to a key surface protein that makes it harder for the immune system to recognize the virus.
According to Dr. Lauren Sewanee, medical director of Duke University Hospital’s emergency department, older adults and people with chronic conditions are more likely to be hospitalized when they get the flu, adding more strain to facilities that already have limited beds due to COVID and RSV cases. But doctors have warned that young children, especially infants and children under 4, have been hardest hit.
Dr. Molly Fleiss, associate professor in the department of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said symptoms mirror past flu seasons but can begin acutely, with people experiencing high fever, chills, chills, cough and shortness of breath.
These symptoms may be more severe, he said, especially if a person has not been vaccinated.
Doctors say they expect to see an increase in flu cases for at least the next several weeks, with illnesses not tapering off until late January or possibly February.
Read the full story here.
Eyewitnesses describe mysterious explosion in northwest Venezuela
A First-hand accounts of an explosion off the Venezuelan coast Questions have arisen about the source of the attack on 18 December and whether it was linked to the United States’ escalating pressure campaign against the South American country.
Two members of Venezuela’s Wayuu indigenous community told NBC News that they witnessed an unknown explosion that destroyed a hut that was probably used for storage.
One of the witnesses, Ana, who did not want her last name used for fear of retribution, told NBC News by phone that a few days after seeing the explosion, she heard a strange sound, which she speculated might have been a drone surveying the area.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Anna, adding that the explosion was so powerful that she and her relatives couldn’t hear it for hours. He suspects that some of them have suffered hearing damage and said that his family’s boat was destroyed along with their fishing nets.
On December 19, after hearing the explosion, representatives of the Venezuelan government arrived in the morning, Ana said. He said residents asked him for help, asking for a doctor to check hearing problems and new fishing nets and hammocks, which were also blown away.
The dry coastal strip in Venezuela’s northwest, known as Alta Guajira, is heavily controlled by the National Liberation Army, an armed guerrilla group known for its history of drug trafficking and also active in neighboring Colombia.
NBC News reporting has not established any connection between the explosion described by Trump and that described by witnesses in northwestern Venezuela, and it is unclear who was responsible for the December 18 explosion.
Read more about eyewitness accounts here.
Trump administration halts federal child care payments to Minnesota
All federal child care payments to the state of Minnesota have been paused After a viral video alleged widespread fraud at child care facilities across the state. The pause comes days after FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau “Increased” resources As part of an ongoing fraud investigation in the state, which has largely targeted Somali immigrants.
Patel said the FBI’s work was preceded by a right-wing influencer’s video showing that some juvenile facilities were not operational but were receiving state and federal funding, which gained popularity online.
Nick Shirley, who describes himself as an independent journalist, brought the topic into the conservative media spotlight in recent days. His report from Minneapolis was quickly endorsed by Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk, and the video received millions of views on YouTube and YouTube.
Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and Assistant Secretary Alex Adams said on Twitter that they have paused payments and imposed additional requirements for child care payments across the country.
Read the full story here.
Read all about it
- three passengers found dead Near a popular mountain trail in Southern California that was hit by powerful Santa Ana winds.
- Gold and silver prices are about to break records Biggest annual gain since 1979Rising rapidly since Trump’s global tariff rollout.
- Tatiana SchlossbergAn author and journalist who was the granddaughter of John F. Kennedy died Tuesday, after revealing earlier that she had acute myeloid leukemia. She was 35 years old.
- Star New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs According to police reports, he is accused of slapping his live-in private chef and strangulating her until she “started having trouble breathing”. He will be indicted on January 23.
- President Donald Trump this week Issued the first veto of his second term in office.Finish rejecting the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act and the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendment Act, two bills that passed Congress with bipartisan support.
- actor Isiah Whitlock Jr.The actor, best known for his role in HBO’s 2000 crime drama “The Wire,” has died, his manager said. He was 71 years old.
Staff Selection: How Japan is fighting increasing bear attacks
Northern Japan is facing a problem: It now has fewer people but more bears, and the growing imbalance has become life-threatening at times.
This year, 13 people have been killed in a record 235 bear attacks across Japan, a country considered one of the safest in the world.
Many of the victims are elderly rural residents, and they were attacked while hiking or picking mushrooms.
There are several factors behind the increase: food shortages, partly caused by climate change, are drawing animals into residential areas and traditional bear hunters outnumbering the animals.
So far, Japanese authorities have deployed riot police and the military to keep the bears away. But at least for now, the animals don’t seem to be going anywhere. Residents have been left to adapt to the new norms,
, Peter Guo, associate producer
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