Fired Tyson boss says COVID office pool was a 'morale boost'

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One of the Tyson Foods managers fired for betting on how many workers would contract COVID-19 at an Iowa pork plant said the office pool was spontaneous fun and intended to boost morale.

Florida's Johnson rejoins team, works as coach amid recovery

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Keyontae Johnson is back in Florida's basketball facility, just not on the court. He's scouting opponents, coaching teammates, refereeing scrimmages and even talking trash from afar.

The Latest: WHO calls for expanded measures to find variants

BERLIN — The head of the World Health Organization says it’s important to step up genomic sequencing worldwide to ensure that new variants of the coronavirus are detected as the pandemic enters its second year.

As South Africa's virus spikes, doctors urge alcohol ban

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — With a new surge pushing South Africa’s cumulative virus cases above 1 million, the country’s doctors are urging the government to return to tighter restrictions on social gatherings and the sales of alcohol to slow the spread of the disease.

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Steelers can exhale after a wearying run to AFC North title

PITTSBURGH (AP) — This time, JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Latest: Nearly 1.3M traveled through US airports Sunday

WASHINGTON — Nearly 1.3 million people went through U.S. airports on Sunday, the highest level of air travel in more than nine months, despite fear that travel will lead to more cases of COVID-19.

Henrik Lundqvist says he's scheduled for open-heart surgery

Henrik Lundqvist said Monday he’s scheduled for open-heart surgery after tests revealed a heart condition that kept him from continuing to play goal in the NHL.

N Macedonia: 8 charged with creating terrorist organization

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Police in North Macedonia said Monday that eight men have been arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks in the country and officers have seized a large quantity of weapons.

As COVID-19 ravages US, shootings, killings are also up

DETROIT (AP) — When Andre Avery drives his commercial truck through Detroit, he keeps his pistol close.

Pandemic, politics and protests make Idaho's top 2020 news

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The novel coronavirus pandemic affected nearly every aspect of Idaho residents' lives in 2020, impacting our financial security, our education, our workplaces, our elections and our recreation. As the year came to a close, more than 124,000 residents had been infected by the novel coronavirus, and more than 1,200 of them had died from COVID-19. But December also brought a ray of hope, as the state received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines to be given to health care workers and nursing home staffers and residents.

Slow down? Never. Ryan Seacrest says he's busier than ever

NEW YORK (AP) — Most folks have slowed down in the past nine months but Ryan Seacrest says he's been juggling more than usual during the pandemic.

The Latest: Saudi Arabia extends weeklong border closure

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia has decided to extend its weeklong closure of all official ports of entry over fears of the new fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus.

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The Latest: Novavax's COVID vaccine to be studied in the US

WASHINGTON - A huge study of another COVID-19 vaccine candidate is getting underway Monday as states in the U.S. continue to roll out scarce supplies of the nation’s first shot options.

Editorial Roundup: Texas

San Antonio Express-News. Dec. 27, 2020.

MATCHDAY: Man U hosts Wolves; Barca without Messi vs Eibar

A look at what’s happening around European soccer on Tuesday:

Aid groups aim to bring health care to migrants on way to US

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — Aurora Leticia Cruz has tried to keep up with her blood pressure medication since fleeing Guatemala more than a year ago, but the limbo she finds herself in — stuck in a sprawling camp at the Texas border after traversing Mexico — has made that hard.

From Zoom to Quibi, the tech winners and losers of 2020

We streamed, we Zoomed, we ordered groceries and houseplants online, we created virtual villages while navigating laptop shortages to work and learn from home. In many ways, 2020′s pandemic-induced isolation threw our dependence on technology into overdrive, snipping away at our real-life connections while bringing digital relationships to the fore.

Lori Loughlin released after prison term in college scam

“Full House” actor Lori Loughlin was released from prison Monday after spending two months behind bars for paying half a million dollars in bribes to get her two daughters into college.