QUICK HITS

3 1 Collision closes highway: A collision involving as many as 40 vehicles closed a portion of Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania and sent more than a dozen people to area hospitals on Monday, according to the Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management. The crash in northeast Pennsylvania happened around 10:30 a.m. No fatalities had been reported. 2 Strike authorized: Tens of thousands of Southern California grocery workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if supermarkets don’t meet their wage proposals as negotiations on a new contract resume in the coming weeks. The vote, taken over five days, could lead to walkouts beginning at markets stretching from Central California to the Mexican border. The United Food and Commercial Workers announced that 95% of those voting approved a strike. 3 Spokeswoman tests positive:

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-pierre said she tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after returning from Europe with President Joe Biden. Jean-pierre, the principal deputy press secretary, said she last saw Biden “during a socially distanced meeting” on Saturday. 4 Tax cut passes: Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the nation with perpetually underfunded schools and struggling rural hospitals, passed its largest-ever tax cut Sunday. The Republicancontrolled state House and Senate voted to approve a bill that would reduce the state income tax over four years. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has indicated he will sign it. 5 Canada chooses F-35: The

Canadian government has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. and the F-35 as the preferred bidder in its competition to buy a new fighter jet, government officials said Monday. Canada is planning to buy 88 fighter jets.