North America

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Navy from acting against 35 sailors for refusing on religious grounds to comply with an order to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The injunction is a new challenge to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to make vaccinations mandatory for all members of the military. The vaccination requirement allows for exemptions on religious and other grounds, but none of the thousands of requests for religious waivers so far have been granted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Growth in U.S. manufacturing slowed in December to an 11-month low with companies still combating supply chain problems.

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its index of manufacturing activity fell to a reading of 58.7 in December, 2.4 percentage points below the November reading of 61.1.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after thousands of violent pro-Trump rioters overwhelmed police officers at the U.S. Capitol — severely injuring dozens in the process — the force dedicated to protecting the premier symbol of American democracy has transformed.

RUTHER GLEN, Va. (AP) — Road crews struggled to reach hundreds of motorists on Tuesday after they were stranded all night in freezing temperatures along a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia where tractor-trailers jackknifed in the ice and snow, state police said.

NEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Late financier Jeffrey Epstein's 2009 settlement agreement with Virginia Giuffre is expected to be made public on Monday, as part of Giuffre's civil lawsuit accusing Britain's Prince Andrew of sexual abuse.

Giuffre's lawsuit accuses Andrew of forcing her to have sex more than two decades ago when she was under 18 at the London home of former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and abusing her at two of Epstein's homes. Giuffre, 38, is seeking unspecified damages in a civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court.

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. schools, including in some major cities, have delayed this week's scheduled return to classrooms following the holiday break or switched to remote learning as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus drives record levels of COVID-19.

In New Jersey, which has seen some of the highest case rates of any state in recent weeks, most urban districts have implemented virtual classes to start the new year, including Newark, which has nearly 38,000 students.

NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- About one in three Americans believe that violence against the government can at times be justified, according to poll results reported by the Washington Post on Saturday.

The Washington Post and University of Maryland jointly carried out the poll just days before the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

The findings - the highest in more than two decades - "offer a window into the country's psyche at a tumultuous period in American history," according to the report.

(AP) --- The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge, with the Food and Drug Administration allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.

Boosters already are recommended for everyone 16 and older, and federal regulators on Monday decided they’re also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds once enough time has passed since their last dose.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden conferred on Sunday with Ukraine’s leader over the Russian troop buildup near its border, promising that the U.S. and allies will act “decisively” if Russia further invades the Eastern European nation.

Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call came as the U.S. and Western allies prepared for a series of diplomatic meetings to try to de-escalate a crisis that Moscow said could rupture ties with Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms while quarantining at home.

In a statement Sunday night, Austin said he plans to attend key meetings and discussions virtually in the coming week “to the degree possible.” He said Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks would represent him in appropriate matters.

Austin said he last met with President Joe Biden on Dec. 21, more than a week before he began to experience symptoms, and had tested negative the morning of that day.