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Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico also saw an increase in the spread of the virus, landing them in the “moderate” tier.

New York City, which reports as a separate jurisdiction from the rest of the state, moved into the most severe category for “very high” flu activity.

Much of this season’s flu activity is being driven by a new variant of influenza called subclade K. The subclade is a type of H3N2 influenza, which has historically caused more hospitalizations and deaths.

It’s not too late to boost your protection against the virus. “CDC recommends that every 6 months and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season get an annual influenza (flu) vaccine,” the agency said Friday.

The CDC said it has distributed 127 million doses so far.

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Forecasters say the first snow storm of the season to take aim at major Northeast cities will dump several inches of snow over the weekend, followed by a bitter Arctic blast courtesy of the polar vortex.

The cold won't last, as forecasters expect winter reprieve in the form of a coast-to-coast mild spell, which could doom dreams of a White Christmas for millions.

But first, the weekend storm will spread light to moderate amounts of snow across the central and northeastern U.S.

Calling it a 'baby Nor'easter," Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue said in an email to USA TODAY that a huge population will see at least 3 inches of snowfall from the storm.

On Sunday Dec. 14, "Snowfall could be heavy in a burst of 3-6 hours and add up 3 inches to 6 inches – maybe more," he said.

By the time the storm is over later Sunday Dec. 14, 1 to 6 inches of snow will have fallen along a 1,500-mile swath from the northern Plains to the shores of southern New England, according to an online forecast from AccuWeather. The storm will focus along much of Interstate 70 in the Ohio Valley region and then along the heavily populated I-95 corridor from Maryland to Massachusetts.

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Denmark's intelligence service for the first time has described the United States as a potential threat to its and the wider European region's national security because of the Trump administration's apparent willingness to use economic and military coercion and pressure "to enforce its will," even against allies.

"The world's great powers are increasingly prioritizing their own interests and use force to achieve their goals," the NATO country's military intelligence agency said in its annual threats assessment, published on Dec. 10. The Danish Defense Intelligence Service named Russia and China among the chief nations posing challenges to Denmark and Europe. But in an unusual move, it also singled out the United States because of what it said was "uncertainty" about "the role of the United States as a guarantor of European security."

"The United States uses economic power, including in the form of threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will and no longer excludes the use of military force even against allies," the report said.

The U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen referred all questions on the Danish intelligence report to the U.S. State Department, which did not immediately respond to a comment request.

Tensions between Copenhagen and Washington have soured amid President Donald Trump's stated interest in taking control of Greenland, a resource-rich, strategically important Arctic island that's part of the kingdom of Denmark.

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A young Palestinian man has died while being held in captivity by Israeli authorities, according to the Palestinian Authority, as Israeli military and settler violence across the occupied West Bank reaches levels unseen in decades, and its genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated.

Abdul Rahman al-Sabateen, 21, from Husan near Bethlehem, died at a Jerusalem medical facility on Tuesday night after being arrested by Israeli soldiers in late June, the PA said in a statement.

His family reported seeing no signs of illness when they last visited him during a court appearance on November 25.

The death comes as Israeli forces arrested more than 100 Palestinians in dawn raids across the West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said.

The sweeps targeted cities including Nablus, where approximately 30 people were detained, and Silwad, where another 24 were taken into custody. Witnesses told the Wafa news agency that soldiers entered homes, confiscating belongings and jewellery during the operations.

Al-Sabateen’s death brings to at least 94 the number of Palestinians who have died in Israeli detention since October 2023, according to Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, which has documented what it describes as “systematic torture” in both military and prison facilities.

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Torrential rain swept across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, flooding hundreds of tents sheltering families displaced by two years of war and leading to the death of a baby girl due to exposure, local health officials said.

Medics said eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar died of exposure to cold after water inundated her family’s tent in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.

Weeping and holding Rahaf in her hands, her mother Hejar Abu Jazar said she had fed the girl before they went to sleep.

“When we woke up, we found the rain over her and the wind on her, and the girl died of cold suddenly,” she told Reuters.

“There was nothing wrong with her. Oh, the fire in my heart, the fire in my heart, oh my life,” she said in tears.

Municipal and civil defense officials said they were unable to cope with the storm because of fuel shortages and damage to equipment.

They said Israel destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and others used to pump water, during the war, which displaced most of the over two million population and left much of Gaza in ruins.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday hinted at a referendum for Ukrainians to decide whether to cede land to Russia to help end Russia’s invasion.

The comment came as the US pressures Kyiv to concede the Donbas region as part of the peace settlement – a Kremlin war goal and a red line for Kyiv, as it is prohibited by the Ukrainian Constitution.

Zelensky, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said it is ultimately the Ukrainians’ decision on the price for peace – hinting at possible elections or referendums.

“I believe the people of Ukraine will answer this question. Whether through elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people must take a position,” he said, according to RBC Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that 82% of Ukrainians “are demanding that a settlement be made” – a statement contradicted by local surveys and Kyiv Post interviews, which show most reject peace tied to territorial concessions or limits on sovereignty.

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Some Head Start early childhood programs are being told by the federal government to remove a list of nearly 200 words and phrases from their funding applications or they could be denied. That's according to recently submitted court documents.

The list of words includes "accessible," "belong," "Black," "disability," "female," "minority," "trauma," "tribal" and "women."

The list was submitted on Dec. 5, as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Head Start programs in a handful of states – including Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin and Illinois – against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in federal programs conflicts with Head Start's statutory mandate. That mandate includes, among other things, providing "linguistically and culturally appropriate" services as well as early intervention services for children with disabilities.

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On Monday, Paramount Skydance launched a $108bn takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, the entertainment giant that owns Hollywood movie studios, along with CNN, HBO and other media businesses. The bid is led by David Ellison, son of the tech billionaire Larry Ellison – a prominent Donald Trump supporter and Republican donor.

Netflix had already prevailed over Paramount in a previous bidding competition for the purchase, but Trump announced on Sunday that he would “be involved” in his administration’s review of the Netflix deal. The president suggested the sale “could be a problem” because Netflix is already dominant in the US streaming market.

Paramount left out a significant fact in the press release announcing its offer: the bid includes funding from the private equity firm owned by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, as well as three Arab monarchies, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which collectively have billions of dollars in ongoing ventures involving the Trump family business. Those details were buried in required paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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