An Ignoble Experiment: Ghislaine Maxwell found guilty over 'pyramid of abuse'

Jeffrey Epstein, left, with arm around Ghislaine Maxwell, right.

By Liza Hearon

Thursday, Dec. 30

GHISLAINE MAXWELL FOUND GUILTY IN SEX ABUSE TRIAL British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five counts in her trial for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the American millionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell faces years in prison — an outcome long sought by women who spent years fighting in civil courts to hold her accountable for her role in recruiting and grooming Epstein's victims. [AP]

HEALTH CARE WORKERS WORRY ABOUT SHORTENED COVID ISOLATION TIME Nurses have denounced the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that halves the recommended isolation time for people who test positive for COVID-19. "This guidance is premature given what is known about the omicron variant and tips toward economic needs as opposed to the health needs of nurses and other health care workers," the American Nurses Association said. [HuffPost]

BIDEN AND PUTIN TO HOLD CALL TODAY President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will speak today as the Russian leader has stepped up his demands for security guarantees in Eastern Europe. The talks come as the U.S. and Western allies have watched the buildup of Russian troops near the border of Ukraine, growing to an estimated 100,000 and fueling fears that Moscow is preparing to invade Ukraine. [AP]

IF YOU LIKE THE NEW PROGRESSIVE FEDERAL JUDGES — THANK TRUMP Former President Donald Trump's sabotage of two Georgia Senate runoffs in early January with endless lies about "massive fraud" almost certainly cost Republican incumbents their seats. This gave Democrats control of the chamber and the ability to push through judicial nominations without a single GOP vote, S.V. Dáte explains. [HuffPost]

CDC director explains decision to change COVID isolation period.
California becomes first state to top 5 million COVID-19 cases.
Tiny mental health habits that can improve your life in 2022.
The best pieces of work advice going into 2022, according to therapists.

Get the latest coronavirus updates on our dedicated page

THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO PRISON FOR 10 YEARS, 6 MONTHS. IT TURNED INTO FOREVER. It used to be understood that life sentences in Louisiana were almost always commuted for good behavior, and some people took plea deals based on this understanding. But when the rules changed, many of the so-called 10/6 lifers were abandoned. Now after spending decades in prison, some of them are finally getting out. Make some time today for this emotional story and striking photos. [HuffPost]

HOW HARRY REID BECAME AN UNLIKELY PROGRESSIVE CHAMPION Harry Reid, who died Tuesday at age 82, had a centrist background. But he endeared himself to progressives in the Democratic Party by cultivating a relationship with them and identifying with the left's combative instincts. "Progressives gravitated to him because he knew how to lead," said Rebecca Katz, who was Reid's communications director from 2005 to 2006. [HuffPost]

U.S. COVID CASES SOAR TO HIGHEST LEVELS ON RECORD More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed over the past two weeks from an average of 1,200 per day to around 1,500. [AP]

RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION REMAIN ONGOING CONCERNS IN MILITARY Despite the Department of Defense issuing new guidelines on extremism, conducting training with troops and updating screening of recruits, extremism and bias are still problems in the military, an AP investigation found. New Pentagon rules do not outright ban service members from being members of extremist organizations, for example. [AP]

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS TREATING PANDEMIC LIKE A PERSONAL PROBLEM Biden's response to the coronavirus pandemic is simply the liberal version of treating the situation like a personal responsibility rather than a collective one, writes Nathalie Baptiste in this opinion piece. The response hasn't been as bad as Trump's but still leaves a lot to be desired. [HuffPost]

Kidnapped as a boy, this man's hand-drawn map of home helped him find his mom.
It's time to recalculate your COVID "risk budget." Here's how.
Photos show how the U.S.-Mexico border changed — and didn't — in 2021.
Dan Bongino and the big business of returning Trump to power.
Bambi: cute, lovable, vulnerable ... or a dark parable of antisemitic terror?
"I don't know how much more we can take": Northeast Ohio health care providers reveal what's happening within hospital walls.

The molcajete is the ultimate Latin cooking tool: here's how to use it.
Emma Watson reveals moment she "fell in love" with "Harry Potter" co-star Tom Felton.
Man looking for deer antlers finds remains of MMA fighter missing for two years.
Here's what's leaving Netflix in January.
Twenty of the best wedding photos of the year.
All the TV shows we're looking forward to in 2022.
Amanda Gorman, yet again, flawlessly snapshots a nation in disarray with New Year's poem.
My best friend and I are straight married men, and we tell each other "I love you."
Check out HuffPost's most-read politics stories of 2021 (spoiler alert: there's a lot about Trump!)
Here's how to look udderly chic while rocking the cow-print trend.
Jada Pinkett Smith shares update on her journey with alopecia.
Just some all-too-real tweets about New Year's Eve in 2021.
The eight best moments for celebrity women in 2021.
"Da Vinci Code" author and ex-wife settle lawsuit alleging he had a secret life.
And speaking of secrets! Boston man Thomas Randele was so adored, there was a line for his funeral that wrapped around the corner. His "deathbed confession" to his fugitive past shocked them all.

Note to readers: The Morning Email is taking a short holiday break. Have fun (safely) celebrating New Year's Eve, and we'll see you back here Jan. 4!