jtrent238 test blog: Evening Briefing: Which virus is it this time?

December 16, 2022

By Matthew Cullen

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday.

1. A "tripledemic" has made this cold and flu season among the worst on record.

While Covid infections and hospitalizations remain far below the winter spikes of the past two years, the elevated spread of two other viruses — R.S.V. and influenza — is putting a strain on an already weary health care system.

Public health officials say it's difficult to predict the rest of the season, because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the patterns for other respiratory diseases. "There's lots of time for another Covid wave, and even enough potentially for another version of flu," said Richard Webby, a virologist.

In New York, a swirl of diseases is assailing city residents with bewildering and miserable symptoms — a toxic cocktail made worse by cramped apartments, subway cars and classrooms, where masks are now optional.

If you're feeling sick, this interactive chart will help you zero in on which virus you might have.

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Ukrainians collect water in the Obolonsky District of Kyiv, Ukraine.Laura Boushnak for The New York Times

2. Russia attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure during freezing temperatures.

Russian forces launched dozens of missiles, knocking out heating systems across Ukraine and prompting the national utility to impose sweeping emergency blackouts. Well over a million Ukrainians were left without power, including in Kremenchuk, where temperatures hovered below 14 degrees.

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Separately, Ukrainian officials warned that Russia was preparing a major new ground offensive for early next year.

In related news, Brittney Griner, who was jailed in Russia for nearly 10 months, said she plans to return to the W.N.B.A. and pledged to fight for the release of Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia.

Elon Musk has officially owned Twitter for less than two months.Samuel Corum/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

3. Elon Musk faced more scrutiny after suspending journalists from Twitter.

Officials on both sides of the Atlantic criticized Musk, threatening fines and sanctions, after Twitter suspended the accounts of at least eight journalists, including a Times reporter. Vera Jourova, a vice president of the European Commission, said the move violated the E.U.'s Digital Services Act and its Media Freedom Act.

The silencing of prominent voices could raise the regulatory heat on Twitter, and possibly Musk's other companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, which is a big recipient of government funding and projects, and hurt Musk's push to get reluctant advertisers back onto the platform.

To most people outside of Silicon Valley, our tech columnist Kevin Roose writes, Musk's time at Twitter has been an unmitigated disaster. But his unsparing style has also made him a hero to many tech executives.

A 3-D model of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's Florida residence.

4. At Mar-a-Lago, classified documents were stored within feet of partygoers.

A Times investigation found that Donald Trump stored classified documents in high-traffic areas of his Florida home. Federal authorities have seized three batches of documents from Mar-a-Lago that should have been turned over to the National Archives at the end of his presidential term.

Our 3-D model of Mar-a-Lago shows how accessible the classified documents may have been to the thousands of guests who visited the property. At times, guests were just steps away from the rooms where the materials were stored.

Separately, the Jan. 6 committee plans to vote Monday on issuing criminal referrals against Trump for insurrection and at least two other charges. Also, a separate committee plans to vote Tuesday on whether to make public six years of Trump's tax records, .

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa denied any wrongdoing.Esa Alexander/Reuters

5. A bizarre scandal involving a sofa full of cash is hanging over South African politics.

The African National Congress convened today to decide whether to re-elect Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's president, to another term. Given the A.N.C.'s dominance of South African politics, the person elected party president has always become the nation's president.

At the center of the party's decision is a scandal known as Farmgate. Ramaphosa's convoluted alibi includes selling 20 buffaloes and stashing nearly $600,000 in a couch at his game farm. The president, who came into office talking about good governance, never reported the theft to the police or disclosed it publicly.

In other international news, negotiators from around the world are meeting in Canada this week to discuss human-induced biodiversity loss. One big debate: a commitment to protect 30 percent of the planet's lands and oceans by 2030.

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The aquarium was 50 feet tall and held 264,000 gallons of water.John Macdougall/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

6. A huge aquarium in a Berlin hotel burst with 1,500 tropical fish inside.

The cylindrical AquaDom, billed as the largest tank of its kind in the world and housed in a Radisson in the German capital, spectacularly collapsed early this morning. Hours after it burst, an entire block of the street outside the building remained soaked by 264,000 gallons of water that rushed out of the lobby. The powerful impact was picked up by local seismographs, and several nearby shops were damaged.

Two people were slightly injured and many of the fish died after the aquarium burst.

In other animal news, scientists have uncovered a genetic mutation that gives some black bears a cinnamon-colored coat, making it dangerously difficult to distinguish them from grizzly bears.

France has scored two or more goals in all but one of its World Cup games.Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

7. The most coveted trophy in all of sports will be won this weekend.

France has a chance to become the first nation in 60 years to win the World Cup twice in a row, and Argentina will have the opportunity to further cement the legacy of the sport's top star. Both teams say they're willing to suffer in order to win. But only one will hoist the tournament's iconic gold trophy on Sunday.

The game will be broadcast at 10 a.m. Eastern on Fox. But before that, Croatia and Morocco will compete on Saturday for third place.

In other news from Qatar, the World Cup has been a diplomatic success for the host nation, despite persistent criticism of human rights issues. The tiny kingdom in the Persian Gulf has sought to elevate its global status by acting as a diplomatic broker for visiting dignitaries.

Yo-Yo Ma traveled to New River Gorge National Park this fall.Matt Eich for The New York Times

8. Yo-Yo Ma's newest project explores our place in the world.

The world's most famous living cellist has been traveling around national parks — the Grand Canyon, Acadia, the Great Smoky Mountains — and performing mini concerts for passers-by. Most of his time on these trips, however, has been spent exploring nature and talking to the artists, musicians and local workers whom Ma invited along with him.

It's all part of his new project, Our Common Nature, which explores ways in which we can heal and enrich our relationship with the world. The project is expanding beyond national parks and Ma hopes that it will lead to Antarctica.

In other music news, Bad Bunny fans with valid tickets from Ticketmaster were turned away from a concert in Mexico City after faulty scanning machines rejected their tickets as fake. Some had spent nearly a month's salary to attend.

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

9. Find a holiday meal that won't take all day.

Many of the classic dishes served over the holidays — think turkey, ham or rib roast — can take several hours of work, pulling the cook into the kitchen and away from friends and family. But, as Genevieve Ko points out, there are plenty of alternatives.

She suggests making miso-cream salmon and beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce; one can be roasted after the other in under an hour. All they need to feel like a full meal are a simple salad and bread, or you could even ask guests to bring side dishes.

For a Hanukkah meal, Tejal Rao in The Veggie newsletter has tips for making latkes with ingredients other than potato, including squash, cabbage and celery root.

10. And finally, can you recognize this year's newsmakers?

We've chosen 52 people who defined the biggest stories of 2022, from the Olympics in February to the continuing war in Ukraine. We'll show you a face, and all you have to do is tell us their name. Take the quiz and see how many you can identify.

Also, if you've been following the World Cup, take a crack at our Spot the Ball game. We've removed the ball from a selection of photos; see if you can guess where it was.

Have a perceptive weekend.

Verónica Sanchis compiled photos for this briefing.

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

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