While recent statistics show that case numbers are going down after the country’s Delta-driven surge, officials have said that data from the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period is likely incomplete because of less testing and delays in reporting test results. Official data released by Germany on Wednesday reported 40,043 new cases over the past 24 hours and an infection rate of 205.5 new infections per 100,000 people during the past seven days....

Lauri Hicks, medical epidemiologist for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said the current authorized vaccines offer less protection against infection due to Omicron than previous variants, but still provide benefit. The susceptibility to monoclonal antibodies appears to be lower for Omicron compared to Delta, with the exception of Sotrovimab, Hicks added. She said data shows people who receive a booster have a much lower chance of reinfection from either Delta or Omicron....

Of the 101 cruise ships operating in U.S. waters, or seeking to operate in U.S. waters, 92 have “reported cases of COVID-19.” Six cruise ships have been ascribed an “Orange” status, meaning there have been reported cases of coronavirus below the threshold for CDC investigation, while another 86 have been designated “Yellow,” meaning cases have met the threshold. To meet the threshold for an investigation, a ship must report COVID cases in more than 0....

Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday in a news release that it will temporarily suspend the distribution of its vaccine in Europe. The continent already faced a similar pause in the distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March due to a potential link to blood clots. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, distributed in Europe by its subsidiary Janssen, is the only one of the four approved vaccines in Europe that requires just a single dose....

If he doesn’t play Sunday, he’ll lose $2 million. MORE: Nine coaches on the hot seat | NFL assistants primed ofor head coaching jobs Lee suffered a hamstring injury this week and is listed as questionable for the Cowboys’ season finale Sunday against the Redskins. The 4-11 Cowboys have nothing on the line in the game, so the prudent thing to do would be to sit Lee. But the Dallas Morning News reported Lee has a playing time incentive in his contract that will pay him a $2 million bonus if he is on the field for 80 percent or more of the team’s snaps this year....

The Cowboys did not follow that traditional path following their divisional playoff defeat at the hands of the 49ers. Instead, the Dallas social media team offered up a blunt assessment of its performance. In less than 280 characters, the team cast blame on Dak Prescott and the team’s “self-inflicted wounds” for causing them to fall short in the 19-12 loss. MORE: Mike McCarthy explains Cowboys’ bizarre final play call vs....

Practice squad QB Jameill Showers was promoted to Dallas’ active roster. MORE: Top 10 Cowboys all time | Fantasy QBs, ranked for Week 16 Romo, 35, was placed on the Cowboys’ injured reserved-designated to return list after suffering a broken left collarbone in Week 2 against the Eagles. After returning from the injury in Week 11 and leading his team to a win over the Dolphins, he sustained a hairline fracture in the healed portion of the break during a Thanksgiving day loss to the Panthers....

“I’m pissed,” he said (via NFL.com). MORE: Week 6 NFL picks | Romo to Brady: ‘See you in February’ Weeden has completed 72 percent of his passes in three-plus games as Tony Romo’s replacement, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. But the Cowboys are 0-3 in the games Weeden has started. Enter Cassel, who Dallas traded for soon after Romo’s injury and apparently will start after the team’s bye this week....

Dak Prescott exited the game late in the fourth quarter after hitting his hand a couple of times on defenders while making throws. He was grabbing his throwing hand while on the sideline and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. Ultimately, it was revealed that Prescott suffered a thumb fracture; he will miss 6-8 weeks as a result of the injury. “It’s very disappointing, but injuries happen, can’t necessarily control it, just unfortunate,” Prescott said after the game, per ESPN....

Coyle’s Championship strugglers face one-time rivals Manchester United at Ewood Park on Sunday and the Rovers boss has urged his players to seize their chance to shine. Herrera confident of FA Cup defence However, the former Burnley boss remains cognisant of the task that awaits his team against Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils. “To play an elite club like Manchester United is a wonderful opportunity," Coyle told reporters ahead of the game....

The Coyotes will remain in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale at least two more years after that city’s council on Friday unanimously voted in favor of a restructured arena deal that runs through 2018. MORE: NHL’s longest suspensions | Wayne Gretzky, the LA years | 2015 Hall of Fame class In June, city fathers decided to scotch their previous accord with the woebegone NHL franchise. That 15-year deal would have paid the team $225 million over its lifetime to manage Gila River Arena....

“I know this might sound like a little bit of a downer,” Dan Schneider, executive director of the American Conservative Union said on the stage at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Orlando, Florida. “But we also believe in property rights. And this is a private hotel, and we believe in the rule of law, so we need to comply with the laws of this county that we’re in.” Schneider added that “like your house,” the private hotel gets to set its own policies, before then turning to Carly Patrick, CPAC director....

“I am sad to see this chapter of my life close but know that it will allow me to focus on my family, my well-being and clearing my name, while giving the show the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption,” Carton said in a statement. MORE: ESPN’s Ryen Russillo apologizes for recent arrest Carton and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason had co-hosted the station’s morning show since 2007....

However, the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage on TNT belongs to Craig Sager. The popular sideline personality showed up both superstars when he arrived at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland wearing snakes on his feet. Notice, I didn’t simply say “snakeskin shoes.” That’s a typical pair of wingtips for a man with as much panache as Sager. He literally has the heads of reptiles on his feet. MORE: Craig Sager in crazy suits | LeBron says KD could surpass Kareem’s scoring mark...

The cranial nerves are vulnerable during head trauma because many of them run over the surface of the skull and are only protected by the muscles and tissues of the face. Penetrating, scraping and shearing injuries can stretch, rupture or cut across a cranial nerve. Broken facial and skull bones can also damage the nerves. The effects of cranial nerve injury may be temporary or permanent, depending on the nature of the injury....

During a craniectomy, a portion of the skull is removed, allowing the brain to decompress. This article discusses how and when a craniectomy is performed, the potential risks and complications, and how it differs from similar types of procedures. What Is a Craniectomy? A craniectomy is a surgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed in order to relieve pressure in the brain. During a craniectomy, a neurosurgeon cuts through the scalp, folds back the skin, and then uses a surgical drill to remove a section of the skull, called a bone flap....

As reported by Snopes, Jesse Durfee shared the original video to his YouTube channel ThriftSchool, where he often shares tips and vlogs on reselling thrift-store finds. In the video shared in 2020, Durfee is discussing CDs in the thrift store when he shows a “Gorasul: The Legacy of the Dragon” game to the camera. At 2:06, a smiling lady appears in the reflection of the case, but disappears when he flips it over....

The motives for this conspiracy of silence are by no means all bad in a society that is already split along color lines. But the unwillingness to confront its racial component head-on has warped and stymied the political debate over crime. For years liberal Democrats were afraid to talk tough on crime, lest they be branded racist. As a result, Democratic leaders were accused of coddling criminals. Republican politicians have pandered to white fear, but they have been deliberately coy about it, using code words and thinly veiled messages like the GOP’s infamous Willie Horton ad in 1988....