World's Biggest Pot Brownie Baked To Perfection; Spirits Are High

ACROSS AMERICA — Good morning! It’s Thursday, Dec. 9, and as we approach one of the final shopping weekends before Christmas, here are 10 holiday gifts anyone on your list would be happy to receive. Meanwhile, here are the stories we’re following today:

• A federal judge has blocked President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for contractors.
• Amazon has still said nothing about what went wrong when its cloud computing system temporarily broke the internet Tuesday.
• Scott Peterson, convicted in 2002 of murdering his wife and unborn child, was resentenced to life in prison.
• The surging Chicago Bulls are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.

A Massachusetts-based cannabis facility celebrated the unveiling of its new brand by baking what it called "the world's largest pot brownie" in advance of National Brownie Day on Wednesday.

MariMed, a multi-state cannabis operator, decided to commemorate the launch of its cannabis-infused, homemade brownie by baking a massive version believed to be the largest THC-infused one ever created.

Weighing in at a whopping 850 pounds, the confection measures 3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 15 inches tall. It contains 20,000 mg of THC. » Norwood's MariMed Unveils "World's Largest Pot Brownie," via Norwood, Massachusetts, Patch

Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors, the latest in a string of victories for Republican-led states pushing back against Biden's pandemic policies.

The order came in response to a lawsuit from several contractors and seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. It applies across the United States because one of those challenging the order is the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., whose members do business nationwide. » Judge Blocks Biden Vaccine Mandate For Federal Contractors, via Across America Patch

Pfizer Shot Fights Omicron: Company

Pfizer this week said a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine may offer important protection against the new omicron variant even though the initial two doses appear significantly less effective. Lab tests showed a booster dose increased people's levels of virus-fighting antibodies by 25-fold against the omicron variant. » Pfizer Says COVID-19 Booster Protects Against Omicron, via Across America Patch

What Caused Amazon Outage?

Amazon has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong Tuesday when a major outage in the company’s cloud computing network severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for hours, raising questions about the vulnerability of the internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms. The outage impacted everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon's own massive e-commerce operation. » Explainer: What Caused Amazon's Outage? Will There Be More? via Across America Patch

More national headlines on Across America and other Patches:

• Jan. 6 Panel Moves Forward With Contempt Charges Against Meadows
• Biden: 'Severe Consequences' For Putin If He Attacks Ukraine
• $56K Alzheimer's Drug Shows Limitations Of Biden's Cost Curbs
• Supreme Court Takes Up Religious Rights Case From Maine
• Scott Peterson Resentenced To Life Without Parole

Around ‘The Patch’

Fists And Fries: A couple caught on video fighting employees at a McDonald’s drive-thru window in Georgia are now staring out of jail windows. Rumor has it the fight started over artificial sweeteners, via Atlanta Patch

Last Of Her Sins: A South Jersey mother who is charged with killing her baby reportedly did so to "fulfill the last of her sins: murder,” via West Deptford Patch

More local news:

• Listeria Fears Prompt Ham, Pepperoni Recall In New Jersey, via Holmdel-Hazlet Patch
• 1st Case Of Omicron Variant In Florida Confirmed In Tampa, via Tampa Patch
• Threats To Goodwill Stores Prompt Closures In Northeast Ohio, via Cleveland Patch
• More Omicron Cases Likely As Hospitalizations Surge, via Across Pennsylvania Patch
• Streaking Chicago Bulls Now Dealing With COVID-19 Outbreak, via Chicago Patch

House Hunting

Check out this entertainer's dream home in Montclair, New Jersey. On the market for just under $2.5 million, the home has "cascading koi ponds and waterfalls,” an outdoor kitchen and a spectacular view of the New York City skyline.

This Day In History

In 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” featuring characters from Charles Schulz's popular Peanuts comic strip, first aired on American television.

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