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Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead.
2. Novak Djokovic will not play in the Australian Open after a panel of judges upheld the government’s decision to revoke the unvaccinated tennis star’s visa.
3. The police on Saturday night rescued a rabbi and several hostages who had been held by a man at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for 11 hours.
The police said that a hostage-rescue team had entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and that the suspect was dead. The authorities declined to identify the man or say how he had died. They did not make clear whether any weapons had been recovered, but the man had claimed to have weapons and explosives.
The standoff began Saturday morning while the synagogue was livestreaming a Shabbat service on Facebook. A man could be heard shouting, prompting listeners to call the police.
4. With their push for voting rights nearing a dead end, Democrats are facing a costly fight to overcome voting restrictions enacted by Republicans across the country.
The Democrats’ best chance for countering the new state laws was lost after Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a key Democrat, declared her opposition to President Biden’s push to lift the filibuster to pass the party’s two voting access bills.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats and activists now say they are resigned to having to organize their way around the new voting restrictions by spending tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars more on voter-registration and turnout programs — funds that might otherwise have gone to promoting Democratic candidates.
The comprehensive voting rights bill, Freedom to Vote Act, is likely to fail in the Senate this week. Democrats must soon decide whether to compromise or keep pressing.
5. This past week’s talks to defuse the crisis between Russia and Ukraine didn’t produce any breakthroughs. Russia may be contemplating more far-reaching measures.
As the Biden administration and NATO consider how the next few months could unfold, they are increasingly wary of options for President Vladimir Putin that would go beyond rolling his troops over Ukraine’s border.
Putin wants commitments that NATO will never again enlarge. Russian officials have hinted that if their security concerns aren’t addressed, they could place nuclear weapons in sensitive places — perhaps near the U.S. coastline — potentially igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
It could all be bluster, and a way of reminding President Biden that while he wants to focus American attention on competing and dealing with China, Putin is still capable of causing enormous disruption.
6. An underwater volcano erupted near Tonga, triggering a chain of tsunami warnings across the South Pacific and for the West Coast of the U.S.
The volcano’s eruption was dramatic, sending plumes of gas and ash thousands of feet into the atmosphere. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand said there were significant signs of damage on the island nation.
American officials urged residents of coastal areas in California, Alaska and Hawaii to stay away from the coastline and move to higher ground. The warnings were lifted by late last night.
7. The N.F.L. playoffs are well underway.
The Bengals beat the Raiders in the weekend’s first Wild Card game, Cincinnati’s first playoff win in 31 years; the Bills dominated the Patriots.
Sunday’s slate of N.F.L. playoff games features Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs, the A.F.C.’s most dominant team in recent years. But in a season in which no one truly pulled away as the N.F.L.’s best team, prepare for the unexpected. (Read about the coach who makes Brady’s offense work.)
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The Packers and the Titans have a bye week. But 12 other teams will face off. Here’s a look at Sunday’s matchups.
The Cardinals, who play the Rams tomorrow, are the owners of the longest championship drought in major American sports. Is a curse to blame?
8. If you’ve spent time on book Twitter, this image might be familiar.
The photo pops up about annually (it did so again recently) but without attribution, allowing avid readers to dream up their own origin story. It turns out it was the home library of Dr. Richard Macksey, a Johns Hopkins professor of humanities, in Baltimore. A book collector, polyglot and scholar of comparative literature, Macksey died in 2019.
“My dad liked nothing better than sharing his love of books and literature with others,” Macksey’s son said. “He’d be delighted that his library lives on through this photo.”
Also from the world of books, the personal Americana collection of William Reese, a leading rare book dealer who died in 2018, will be up for auction at Christie’s. The value of the collection is estimated at $12 million to $18 million.
9. It’s mid-January, and your briefing writer is still sticking to her one New Year’s resolution: Avoid melted cheese. These recipes are making it tough.
Shaminder Dulai compiled photos for this briefing.
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