‘Connections’ December 24: Hints and Answers for Puzzle #562

Measles Outbreak in the U.S.Measles cases in the U.S. are likely underreported amid a significant outbreak in the Southwest, as public health officials, including CDC's Dr. David Sugerman, report 747 cases this year, with two deaths among unvaccinated individuals. The outbreak, primarily affecting undervaccinated communities, has prompted the CDC to send additional personnel to Texas and raise concerns over funding limitations following cuts to Covid-related grants. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s...

Military Libraries Ordered to Review DEI BooksArmy and Air Force libraries have been directed to evaluate their collections for books related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) following a similar initiative at the U.S. Naval Academy, where nearly 400 books were removed. These orders, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to eliminate DEI content from federal agencies, require that any books deemed to undermine meritocracy and unity be identified for potential removal....

Canadian Election Debate RescheduledAn election debate in Canada has been rescheduled to avoid overlapping with a Montreal Canadiens hockey game, which takes place on April 17 at 19:00 ET. The French-language leaders' debate was initially set for 20:00 ET but will now begin two hours earlier at 18:00 ET to accommodate hockey fans, allowing them to engage in both the election campaign and the potential playoff-clinching game. The Leaders' Debates Commission acknowledged Canadians' passion for...

SummaryTwo service members deployed to the U.S. southern border have died, and a third is in serious condition following a vehicle rollover accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The troops, part of an operation to secure the U.S.-Mexico border under President Trump's executive order, were from Camp Pendleton, California, and the incident did not involve military vehicles. The accident occurred around 8:50 a.m. MDT and is currently under investigation, with the names of the deceased...

Two service members were killed, and a third was seriously injured in a vehicle crash near the U.S.-Mexico border in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Tuesday morning. The crash occurred on Highway 9 near the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station; the service members were part of Joint Task Force Southern Border, which has been reinforced by active-duty troops as part of military efforts to control immigration and drug trafficking. The cause of the crash is...

Federal authorities ordered Nicole Micheroni, a 40-year-old U.S. citizen and immigration attorney, to leave the country within seven days due to an erroneous parole termination notice from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Micheroni, who received the notice via a no-reply email, expressed concerns about the lack of careful processing by DHS, while another immigration attorney, Carmen Bello, reported a similar experience. A DHS official stated that Customs and Border Protection is issuing these notices...