Author: Action News 7

NEW YORK — The Trump administration has awarded a $1.6 million, no-bid contract to a Danish university to study hepatitis B vaccinations on newborns in Africa that is raising ethical concerns.The unusual contract was awarded to scientists who have been cited by anti-vaccine activists and whose work has been questioned by leading public health experts. Some experts have suggested the research plan is unethical, because it will withhold vaccines that work from newborns at significant risk of infection.The contract did not undergo a customary ethics review, The Associated Press has learned.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the grant…

TORONTO — A Toronto man has been arrested on terrorism charges and is also facing charges for two failed kidnappings of women. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Waleed Khan, 27, in late November for providing property knowing it would be used by the the Islamic State group and providing social media accounts knowing they would be used by or benefit ISIS.Toronto Police chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement Khan and two other men have also have been arrested for “offences targeting women and members of the Jewish community.”Toronto police say Khan and two other suspects are facing dozens…

President Trump unveiled deals with nine pharmaceutical companies on drug prices in a White House event Friday. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images President Trump said the administration has reached agreements with nine more drugmakers to bring their U.S. drug prices more in line with what other wealthy countries pay. Fourteen companies in total have now reached what the administration calls most-favored-nation pricing deals. The companies that took part in Friday’s announcement were: Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi. They agreed to charge the…

The IRS has accused Britney Spears of underpaying her 2021 taxes — and now the pop star is fighting back. In September, the federal agency sent Spears a notice claiming that she owed $600,000 in unpaid income taxes, plus a $120,000 penalty for the mistake. But on Thursday (Dec. 18), the singer filed a petition in U.S. Tax Court asserting her 2021 taxes were correct after all. Related “The commissioner erred in determining that any part of any underpayment was due to negligence or disregard of rules and regulations,” write lawyers for Spears, Charles Ruchelman and Blair Hlinka. The IRS…

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a fun one, especially the blue category, which should appeal to music lovers. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers.…

Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com. Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, 55, was among seven people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday. Biffle, his wife and two children, and three others were aboard a Cessna C550 owned by Biffle when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport.According to Spotrac, Biffle made more than $58 million in career earnings. Spotrac’s data ranges from 2002 through 2015, as NASCAR has not disclosed winnings since 2016, Biffle’s final year as a full-time racer. In that season, he finished 23rd in the standings. The year prior, when he finished 20th, he…

The Trump administration said this week that it plans to “review” the nation’s wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) posted a directive on its website this week in which agency director Brian Nesvik ordered the review. It said that officials should “look for refuges or hatcheries established for a purpose that no…

The Islamic State lost its territorial stronghold in the Middle East years ago, but its influence didn’t disappear. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Aaron Zelin about how ISIS looks now.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As 2025 winds down, voters’ outlook on the year ending has improved, not only compared to 2024, but also year-over-year since 2020. Almost half say this was a good year for them personally, even as fewer, around one-third, say it was good for the country, according to the latest Fox News survey released Friday. Though concerns persist, such as the future of the country and affording holiday gifts, the upward shift reflects a gradual rebound in optimism since the pandemic-era lows.Nearly half of voters, 45%, say 2025 was a good year for…

John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois signed off as co-anchors of the CBS Evening News on Thursday, as the network retools its evening broadcast under new news division editor in chief Bari Weiss. Dickerson and DuBois announced their departures in recent weeks, as has been expected. They will be succeeded by Tony Dokoupil, co-host of CBS Mornings, who will start on Jan. 5. “You know, a year and a half ago, we didn’t even know each other, and you have become a model for me and a trusted friend,” Dickerson told his co-anchor. He added, “What viewers don’t know is that…