In the news
■ Chris Rock the comedian wasn’t joking when he said he’s been diagnosed with covid-19 despite having gotten shots, sending a message to anyone still on the fence: “Get vaccinated,” because “trust me, you don’t want this.”
■ Lee Zeldin, a New York congressman who’s running for governor, revealed he was diagnosed with a form of leukemia but said he responded well to treatment and is in remission, saying actually his health is now “phenomenal.”
■ Hahns Copeland, a Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, apologized after tweeting an “immature and impulsive” as well as “inappropriate and insensitive” comment about the appearance of the House speaker that Democrats said relied on an antisemitic trope.
■ Willem-Alexander, king of the Netherlands, unveiled a memorial in Amsterdam’s historic Jewish Quarter honoring more than 102,000 Dutch victims of the Holocaust, and the prime minister said it would remind citizens to be vigilant against antisemitism.
■ Flynn Broady, district attorney in Cobb County, Ga., is offering warm, furry support to crime victims in the form of Rose, a 3-yearold black Labrador retriever who’s ready “to calm them down and assure them that they are in a safe place so they can tell their story and not feel afraid of what happens if they tell it.”
■ Jennifer Gilbert, a deputy for the Lee County, Ga., sheriff’s office, said, “Just for them to experience the good side of policing, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most,” as the department raises money to help needy children buy Halloween costumes.
■ Cliff Barton, chairman of the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair, said family fun is the order of the day after the pandemic squashed last year’s event, so there’ll be plenty of entertainment, attractions, food, rides and games, with, of course, those under 48 inches tall admitted for free.
■ Lester Miller, mayor of Macon-Bibb, Ga., declared, “Macon is the music capital of the world,” not to mention, “This area is getting ready to explode,” as he announced a $100 million development to revitalize a languishing mall and feature a 10,000-seat amphitheater.
■ Buz Craft, mayor of Vidalia, La., says utility customers will soon be getting checks representing almost half of last year’s bills, “which makes for a nice Christmas present,” thanks to $2.5 million in royalties generated by sales of excess power.