MODERNA. COVID vaccine protects against virus variants, says company: “Moderna’s vaccine is effective against new variants of the coronavirus that have emerged in Britain and South Africa, the company announced on Monday. But it appears to be less protective against the variant discovered in South Africa, and so the company is developing a new form of the vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against that virus.”

STAGGERING. Police have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black people in US since 2015: “NPR reviewed police, court and other records to examine the details of the cases. At least 75% of the officers were white. The latest one happened earlier this month in Killeen, Texas, when Patrick Warren, Sr., 52, was fatally shot by an officer responding to a mental health call.”

MURDER THREAT. National Guard troops to remain at US Capitol over assassination threats to lawmakers during impeachment trial: “Similar to those intercepted by investigators ahead of Biden’s inauguration, the threats that law enforcement agents are tracking vary in specificity and credibility, said the official, who had been briefed on the matter. Mainly posted online and in chat groups, the messages have included plots to attack members of Congress during travel to and from the Capitol complex during the trial, according to the official.”

THE ROLEX. There’s a new ridiculous Biden scandal being ginned up by the New York Times.

SCARRED? Armie Hammer denies branding his ex-girlfriend.

SCREENING. Miami Heat to use dogs to sniff out COVID in fans: “They’ve been working on the plan for months, and the highly trained dogs have been in place for some games this season where the team has allowed a handful of guests – mostly friends and family of players and staff. Starting this week, a limited number of ticket holders will be in the seats as well, provided they get past the dogs first.”

PRINCE HARRY. On digital reform: “The avalanche of misinformation we are all inundated with is bending reality and has created this distorted filter that affects our ability to think clearly or even understand the world around us. What happens online does not stay online—it spreads everywhere, like wildfire: into our homes and workplaces, into the streets, into our minds. The question really becomes about what to do when news and information sharing is no longer a decent, truthful exchange, but rather an exchange of weaponry. The answer I’ve heard from experts in this space is that the common denominator starts with accountability. There has to be accountability to collective wellbeing, not just financial incentive. It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility.”

SOVEREIGN AMERICA PROJECT. White supremacist group sets up shop in West Palm Beach, not too far from Mar-a-Lago. “Whites, the group’s website says, are genetically superior in ‘civilization building’ and ‘should always have the majority of power and influence in the nations founded and built by our European ancestors.'”

MARYLAND. Police under fire for harassing, assaulting 5-year-old boy: “This was extremely frightening … because he thought he was going to be taken to jail,” rather than back to school, the lawsuit says. “ … They all completely disregarded the potential trauma that could arise from yelling at a five-year-old child and placing him in a squad car.”