News in brief this evening: Top stories from Dec. 30

(The Daily Astorian, Ore.) — Tuomas Katainen of Finland was in a bind. His 2013 Tesla Model S ran fine, but only for only 932 miles, before error codes started popping up, so he had the car towed to a Tesla dealer for repairs.

About a month later, he got a call from the dealership saying it couldn't help him. The only option was to change the battery cell, which would cost more than $22,600. And, to do that, he would have to ask permission from Tesla.

"So I told them that I'm coming to pick (up) Tesla," he said, "now I'm going to explode whole car away, because apparently there was no guarantee or anything."

To achieve this rather peculiar goal, Tuomas called Henri "Pommi-Henkka" Kiviniemi (aka Pommijätkät), who likes to blow things up and record the events for his YouTube page, Pommijätkät, which has more than 54,000 followers.

A deserted quarry with a large rock wall was the ideal location, and the car was covered with 66 pounds of dynamite, placed in such a way that the car would explode against the rock wall. Which it did, with a hearty, satisfying blast, enjoyed by over 4 million viewers. See it here: bit.ly/TeslaBoom.

Just before the big moment, Tuomas was asked which would be better: a working Tesla or a huge dynamite explosion. "Sort of both, maybe more explosion," he replied, laughing. "... And also, maybe I am first person in (the) world who has exploded a Tesla! So maybe made some history!"

Dystopia, 'she-cession,' TikTok dances: We're over you, 2021

Dystopia palooza

TikTok danceathon

The She-cession

Shapewear

NFTs

Level up

Hard seltzers

Billionaires in space

Supply clogs

LONDON (AP) — Prince Andrew wasn't on trial in the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case, but her conviction is bad news for the man who is ninth in line to the British throne.

With the conclusion of the Maxwell case, attention will now turn to a U.S. civil suit in which the plaintiff alleges Maxwell and long-time boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein took her to London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands to have sex with Andrew when she was underage.

Andrew denies the allegations, but Wednesday's verdict shows that at least one American jury was willing to believe the young women trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell in a criminal case, where the standard of proof is higher than in civil cases.

"To the extent there's overlap of evidence with respect to Prince Andrew's case, it certainly doesn't bode well,'' said Bradley Simon, a former U.S. federal prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney in complex civil cases. "But, as I said, every case hinges on its own specific facts and the judges will always instruct the jury on that."

Maxwell was convicted Wednesday of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges after a monthlong trial in New York.

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Ghislaine Maxwell convicted in Epstein sex abuse case

• By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

While U.S. criminal cases must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, civil defendants can be ordered to pay financial damages if they are found responsible based on a preponderance of the evidence.

The verdict is problematic for Andrew because he has long been friends with Maxwell, daughter of the late rags-to-riches media tycoon Robert Maxwell. Even after Epstein was charged with sex crimes, Andrew failed to distance himself from her.

Those links have already diminished the prince's standing.

Andrew was forced to give up his duties as a working member of the royal family after a disastrous 2019 interview with the BBC that only increased public concern about his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. The prince was widely criticized for his explanation of why he maintained contact with Epstein after the financier was accused of sexual misconduct and for failing to show empathy for Epstein's victims.

Although the Maxwell trial didn't offer any sensational new allegations about Andrew, it once again reminds people about the sordid allegations and weakens his standing with the public, said Chris Scott of Slateford, a London law firm that specializes in reputational issues.

"It just adds credibility to the accounts of people,'' Scott told The Associated Press. "You have a criminal court finding now in the U.S. supporting that there was the trafficking going on. In a sense, it becomes much harder for people to run the angle that this is all made up when you do have that credibility building up. So I think that that will be very problematic for him."

The civil suit against Andrew was filed last August by Virginia Giuffre, who says she was 17 when she was flown to London to have sex with Andrew at Maxwell's house in Belgravia, an upscale neighborhood that is home to many foreign embassies and wealthy expatriates. Other encounters with Andrew occurred at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to her lawsuit.

Giuffre, who wasn't part of the criminal case, has described Maxwell as a "Mary Poppins" figure who made young girls feel comfortable as they were lured into Epstein's web.

It was at Maxwell's home in London that a photo of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre's waist is alleged to have been taken — an image that has long been central to Giuffre's allegations. In the BBC interview, Andrew suggested the image had been faked.

"I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady,'' he said. "None whatsoever.''

Given the high stakes for Andrew, one question surrounding the civil suit is whether it will ever get to trial. Gloria Allred, who represents a number of Epstein's victims, told the BBC she expects the prince's attorneys to file a series of procedural challenges to try to derail the case.

This strategy has already been on display.

Andrew initially denied that he had been legally served with court papers notifying him of the lawsuit. Then in October, his lawyers asked Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to throw out the suit, saying the prince never sexually abused Giuffre and that they believed she sued Andrew "to achieve another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him." Last week, they mounted another challenge, arguing that Giuffre's lawsuit should be thrown out because she no longer lives in the U.S.

A world ablaze: Top images captured by AP photographers in 2021

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday increased the risk level for cruise ship travel to its highest level and said it should be avoided, regardless of vaccination status.

The agency bumped up the travel risk level for cruise travel from Level 3 to Level 4, indicating the risk for Covid-19 is "very high."

The move "reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant," the CDC website says.

"Since the identification of the Omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to CDC. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of cruise ships meeting the COVID-19 case threshold for CDC investigation," the agency said.

In addition to including cruise travel in its wider list of travel advisories looking at countries worldwide, the agency has created a color status classification for cruise ships.

On December 30, the agency listed 91 ships in its yellow category that indicates that the volume of Covid cases reported has met the CDC's threshold for investigation. That's five more ships than were listed as yellow on December 28. On December 30, no ships were listed as red, which indicates that reported cases are at or above the threshold for investigation.

Three ships were listed as orange on December 30, indicating that reported cases are below the CDC's threshold for investigation. Sixteen ships were listed as green, meaning that the ships had no reported cases of Covid-19.

Green, orange, yellow and red designations indicate a ship's Covid situation from best to worst. A gray designation is reserved for ships that the CDC has not reviewed for Covid safety.

Decision is 'perplexing,' industry association says

Cruise Lines International Association, a trade association, expressed disappointment at the CDC's elevated risk level.

"The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard -- far fewer than on land -- and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore," CLIA said in a statement.

The association said that "cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land."

At least four ocean cruise ships were turned away from ports of call or were prohibited from letting passengers disembark in the Americas this week because of Covid-19 cases aboard.

Advice if you decide to cruise anyway

While the CDC says to "avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," it advises those who do travel on a cruise ship to make sure they are fully vaccinated and boosted, if eligible. People who go on a cruise should also get tested one to three days before their trip, and three to five days after, regardless of vaccination status.

The unvaccinated should also self-quarantine for a five full days after. People on cruise ships should also wear masks in shared places, CDC says.

Most cruise lines are requiring all or the vast majority of passengers and crew to be vaccinated, in compliance with a CDC Conditional Sailing Order that was implemented to allow cruise operations to resume more than a year after the industry came to a standstill at the start of the pandemic.

Many cruise lines also require pre-departure testing, regardless of vaccination status.

Some lines, including Royal Caribbean, require all passengers 2 and older to be masked in indoor public areas, except while actively eating and drinking.

Before coronavirus variants brought a rise in breakthrough cases among the vaccinated, some lines did not require vaccinated passengers to wear masks in areas reserved for vaccinated guests.

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An unprecedented spike in Covid-19 cases fueled by the fast-moving Omicron variant is crushing hospitals across the United States, with doctors describing packed emergency rooms as health experts implore New Year's Eve revelers to keep parties small and outdoors to help avert an even worse surge.

"It's unlike anything we've ever seen, even at the peak of the prior surges of Covid," Dr. James Phillips, who works in Washington, DC, said Wednesday, when the nation hit a new pandemic high of 300,886 average new daily cases over the prior week, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

"What we're experiencing right now is an absolute overwhelming of the emergency departments" in Washington, Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, told CNN's Jim Acosta.

It's a scene playing out across the country as record case counts are reported from New Jersey and New York to Chicago, where hospital bed capacity also is a concern. In Arizona and New Mexico, federal medical personnel have deployed to provide Covid-19 surge support.

And in Georgia, six major health systems with recent 100% to 200% jumps in Covid-19 hospitalizations -- with most patients unvaccinated -- joined to publicly urge people to seek coronavirus testing elsewhere so their emergency rooms can focus on those with critical needs.

In Louisiana, Covid-19 hospitalizations have tripled in the past two weeks as a new record for cases was set, according to the state. Symptomatic patients have been showing up at Baton Rouge's Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to get tested, said the chief medical officer, Dr. Catherine O'Neal.

"We're seeing an increase in admissions that is startling," she told CNN on Wednesday.

Many patients O'Neal sees are unvaccinated, she said. They often have more severe illness with pneumonia and need to be intubated or need high-flow oxygen. Others who haven't had a booster or are only partially vaccinated are suffering with a kind of flu-like illness and are "fragile," she said.

"They're older, they have heart failure, they have COPD, and they can't handle Covid, even when they're vaccinated," O'Neal said. "Luckily, most of those people are turning around after a couple days and going home, which is a good thing."

Nationwide, nearly 78% of ICU beds are in use, with 22% of those occupied by Covid-19 patients, according to data from the US Health and Human Services Department. And pediatric hospital admissions for Covid-19 are only 2.2% lower than their peak in early September, continuing a rapid increase since mid-December.

Unvaccinated people "are 17 times more likely" to be hospitalized with Covid-19, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday. Some 62% of the total US population is fully vaccinated, and 33% of those have gotten a booster shot, data from the CDC shows.

"What I can tell you is that compared to people who are boosted, if you are unvaccinated, you are 10 times more likely to be a case and 20 times more likely to be a fatality," she said at a White House Covid-19 briefing.

Indeed, the number of lives the virus is claiming jumped this week by about 18%, for an average of 1,546 deaths each day, according to the data. And more than 44,000 people could die of Covid-19 in the next four weeks, according to an ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Wednesday.

The Covid-19 case increase associated with the Omicron variant could peak in the US by the end of January, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNBC on Wednesday.

"It certainly peaked pretty quickly in South Africa, it went up almost vertically and turned around very quickly," he said. "I would imagine, given the size of our country, and the diversity of vaccination versus not vaccination, that it likely will be more than a couple of weeks, probably by the end of January, I would think."

New Year celebrations should be small, experts say

With the spike in Covid-19 cases, experts are urging Americans to practice caution as they celebrate the new year. Revelers should skip big indoor New Year's Eve parties, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University.

"We're in the public health crisis of our lifetime," Reiner told CNN's Phil Mattingly on Thursday. And New York City's Times Square New Year's Eve celebration "should have been canceled," in part because attendees might "pack the subways" to get there, he said. The event has been scaled back, with fewer revelers and everyone required to wear a mask.

The Omicron variant "is extraordinarily contagious, and if you are in a crowd now, and certainly if you're unvaccinated, you are at great risk of contracting this virus," Reiner told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday.

A small celebration at a friend's house should be OK if everyone is vaccinated and boosted and tested negative before the party, he said. Big outdoor parties are less risky unless they're crowded.

"I would not eat in a restaurant now without a mask," Reiner said Thursday. "I would absolutely not go into a bar."

People should avoid large New Year's Eve gatherings where they don't know the vaccination status of guests, Fauci said. Small gatherings of vaccinated family or close friends are safe, he said.

"When you are talking about a New Year's Eve party, where you have 30, 40, 50 people celebrating, you do not know the status of the vaccination -- I would recommend strongly, stay away from that this year. There will be other years to do that, but not this year," Fauci told Fox News.

New CDC isolation guidance faces criticism

Meantime, the CDC is defending itself against criticism over its guidance this week that shortened to five days the recommended time those with Covid-19 should isolate if they're asymptomatic. New research, combined with some infected people's reluctance to isolate for 10 days, spurred some of the latest guidance, Walensky said Wednesday.

"We know that the most amount of transmission occurs in those one to two days before you develop symptoms (to) those two to three days after you develop symptoms," she told CNN. "And if you map that out, those five days account for somewhere between 85% to 90% of all transmission that occurs."

So, for those who test positive but have no symptoms or dwindling symptoms at Day 5, "we shortened the time to encourage people to do the right thing," Walensky told CBS. "We don't want them out and about when they are maximally infectious."

The CDC is being too harshly criticized for changing the guidelines, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "Everything we're going to do right now is imperfect. Just accept that right now," Osterholm told CNN on Wednesday.

"We don't know a lot of the things we wish we'd know, but what we do know and what is emerging here is that this country is going to be in the soup in just the next few weeks with so many cases and so many locations, that we're going to see critical infrastructure as well as health care challenged," Osterholm added.

With the rapid spread of Omicron, there may not be enough people who are well enough to keep hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations working, Osterholm predicted. The change in CDC guidelines is not just about helping the economy, he said: "It was to play to the very safety of our everyday lives."

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UK bank Santander got into the Christmas spirit this year by paying out a total of £130 million ($175 million) to customers by mistake on December 25.

The total payment was split over 75,000 transactions for around 2,000 corporate and commercial customers, Santander said in a statement published Thursday.

"We're sorry that due to a technical issue, some payments from our corporate clients were incorrectly duplicated on the recipients' accounts," reads the statement.

"None of our clients were at any point left out of pocket as a result and we will be working hard with many banks across the UK to recover the duplicated transactions over the coming days."

Santander blamed the duplicated payments on a scheduling issue, which the bank said was "quickly identified and rectified."

The transactions were both regular and one-off payments which could have included supplier payments or wages, it added.

Santander is working to recover the funds from recipient banks through the "bank error recovery process," according to the statement, and it has processes in place to seek recovery of funds deposited in error directly from recipients.

Santander UK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of global bank Banco Santander, which is headquartered in Spain.

The UK operation has 14 million active customers and 616 branches, according to its website.

While $175 million is a significant sum to pay out by mistake, it pales into insignificance next to the $500 million that US bank Citibank lost in one of the "biggest blunders in banking history."

The bank accidentally sent out $900 million to the lenders of cosmetic company Revlon, and went to court in August 2020 to try and recover some $500 million that hadn't voluntarily been paid back.

But in February a US District Court judge ruled that the bank won't be allowed to recover the money.

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Dionne Warwick has been a legend in the music industry for years, and she continues to cement her legendary status on Twitter.

The singer has come to be known for her wonderfully direct tweets. Now she's now found herself in a bit of a battle with Oreo, and it's kind of delicious.

Warwick invited companies to interact with her on Twitter back in October. After Oreo responded, she tweeted at them "Hello, What is your weirdest flavor? Why are y'all doing the most? The one flavor was fine."

Warwick has since updated her more than 588,000 Twitter followers on how that went, sharing a photo of Oreo lip balm and a package of Java Chip Oreo cookies on Wednesday.

"After asking @Oreo to stick to the original flavor, they sent me these outrageous items as a response," the tweet read.

It sounds like Warwick viewed it as a shot across the bow.

"I will be retaliating at a later date," she tweeted.

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Enough already! Can we call it a wrap on 2021?

As if this year hasn't been challenging enough, it's leaving us with one more parting shot — a Champagne shortage.

Revelers looking forward to cheering in 2022 with a favorite bubbly should brace for possible disappointment — especially if you want a higher-end variety.

Liquor sellers say brands such as Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, which can retail for $50 to more than $100 per bottle, are sold out in many markets, forcing shoppers to trade over to a less swanky brand or trade down to other options.

It's happening for three primary reasons: increased demand, diminished grape harvests and a disrupted supply chain that has severely slowed production and distribution of a host of products, from shoes to toys to yes, Champagne.

"These factors did put significant pressure on retailers in the US this season," said Michael Osborn, founder and EVP of Wine.com. "Unfortunately, signature brands like Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot are sold out in some markets, but not all."

Meanwhile, demand for Champagne and sparkling wines has surged 120% since 2019, he added.

Osborn said the company anticipated the Champagne supply crunch and made an effort to stock up on popular brands. "This allowed us to have a good supply during the holiday selling season," said Osborn. "At this point, our selection exceeds over 300 choices in sparkling, including nearly 100 options from France's Champagne region."

Alcohol delivery service Saucey, which can get a Champagne order to your door within 30 minutes, also said the bubbly's availability is spotty ahead of New Year's, and higher-end brands have been hard to find since Christmas.

Online liquor seller Drizly, which offers deliveries in fewer than 60 minutes, said Champagne and prosecco are the top-selling sparkling wines on its site ahead of New Year's Eve.

"While we aren't seeing signs that consumers are seeking alternatives just yet on Drizly, there are other styles available should consumers be experiencing supply challenges on a local level," said Liz Paquette, the company's director of brand and head of consumer insights.

Those options include sparkling rosé, Cava and American sparkling wines, she said.

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has plenty of reasons to toast 2021 with some Teremana.

He produced and starred in two hit films, "Jungle Cruise" and "Red Notice," debuted his biographical sitcom "Young Rock," saw unprecedented sales growth with his Teremana tequila, and became the most followed American man on Instagram with 285 million followers.

At 49, with grit, charisma and determination to "deliver the goods," Johnson has segued from professional wrestler to movie star, major entrepreneur and someone nearly half of America would like to see as the next president of the United States, according to one poll.

CNN spoke with Johnson this week about his monumental year. He addressed hype around his possible return to the "Fast and Furious" franchise and his potential political ambitions. He also offered a glimpse at how he plans to top his blockbuster 2021.

Our conversation, which has been lightly edited for flow and clarity, follows below.

You've seen some great successes, any highlights? Reflecting back, anything you wish you would have done differently?

"I worked hard, had some luck on my side and was able to accomplish a few things in 2021. A few highlights that come to mind, one would be completing two massive Seven Bucks Productions films, 'Red Notice' and 'Black Adam.' (Set for release in 2022.) Both presented a lot of challenges during Covid, but like so many businesses out there, we adjust, get clarity, create our new Covid strategy and get to work. Seven Bucks also just completed -- two weeks ago -- our second season of NBC's 'Young Rock.' I'm quite proud of everyone's efforts and talents to get the job done and deliver quality. And the other businesses in my portfolio have shown tremendous growth and moved along nicely in 2021 -- Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, Project Rock and XFL. As for anything I would've done differently in 2021, sure, I would've listened to my gut when it was telling me to slow down a bit. Enjoy these moments even more with your family and friends, because at the end of the day these joyful moments are the s*** that really matters in life. Sorry to cuss but that's the truth. Good lesson to always listen to that voice in your gut."

"Red Notice" received an enormous amount of praise, from both those in the industry and with audiences worldwide by becoming Netflix's most watched movie in the world for 2021, and most watched of all time. What do you think made "Red Notice" so successful?

"First thing, we made a great movie for families around the world to enjoy. That's the bottom line. Deliver the goods. I always say I can bring people to the dance and with the trust they have in me, they'll dance one song. But then it's up to the quality I'm offering that will make them dance all night. We made a great movie and people are dancing to it. Rawson Thurber did a tremendous job of writing and directing 'Red Notice' that attracted two of the biggest stars in the world, in Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, and a dude who's only famous for his tattoos, raised eyebrow and a fanny pack. But dumb jokes aside, it's a monumental achievement for our Seven Bucks Productions to produce the most watched Netflix film of all time. 'Red Notice' was my first film on a streaming platform so it was critically important for myself and our Seven Bucks Company to deliver and move the streaming needle. What a holy s*** achievement and congrats to everyone involved."

What are your thoughts on the streaming wars among platforms and its impact on theatrical releases, does this play a part when discussing releases for your projects as a producer?

"I say this with great clarity, we are in a tremendous time in our Hollywood industry as we are in the eye of a massive opportunity to listen and learn what our audience and our consumers want and just as important, how they want it. I believe strongly in our theatrical business and want us to continue to work hard to maintain that theatrical experience for our consumers. When a movie is done right, man it's pure magic in the theaters. And I also feel strongly that it's our job as creators, producers and deliverers of entertainment to always take care of and go to the people. I try and approach streaming platforms versus theatrical with an entrepreneurial spirit and vision. The power of possibilities and the needs of the audience, consumers first, best practice will emerge. We just have to be smart, open and flexible to change and listen to what the people say they want."

There was a lot of buzz that you may rejoin the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. We saw that Vin Diesel recently posted he wants you back. We know you addressed potentially returning months ago, but were you surprised by Vin's post?

"I was very surprised by Vin's recent post. This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly - and privately - that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return. I privately spoke with my partners at Universal as well, all of whom were very supportive as they understand the problem.

Vin's recent public post was an example of his manipulation. I didn't like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker's death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding. My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible 'Fast & Furious' franchise with gratitude and grace. It's unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters. Regardless, I'm confident in the 'Fast' universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience, and I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter."

As the most followed American man on Instagram, do you think anything has changed with how you have approached your own social media this past year?

"That answer is yes. I still have my anchoring guidelines I follow: Be authentic, be real and try to make sure every social post has a quality and meaning behind it, offering some takeaway for people and being aware about never wasting anyone's time with a bulls***post about nothing. But I'll tell you, as we navigate our way through Covid's harsh ebbs and flows, I've found myself trying to use a much lighter touch with my words since things on social media are so easily triggering these days, clickbait stuff. Lighter touch and quality I try to use daily when connecting with people through social media. And if I can make you laugh and smile, I'll try and do that too."

Was becoming a tequila mogul always part of the plan? What's next for Teremana in 2022 and beyond?

"Tequila mogul was not part of the initial strategy, but I'll sure take it. Our numbers were disclosed earlier this week and our Teremana growth is truly unprecedented. Our sales have exceeded over 600,000 nine-liter cases and in our spirits industry, that's an all-time record for first year sales. For context, George Clooney sold his Casamigos tequila brand to Diageo for $1 billion dollars and they were selling approximately 170,000 cases. Teremana is currently selling over 600,000 cases. So you can extrapolate the math and valuation, astounding growth and I think it reflects our 'highest in quality and best in taste' mantra. I'm happy but not satisfied with what we've been able to accomplish with Teremana tequila thus far. The work is just beginning. My goal for 2022 and beyond is to make Teremana a true international tequila brand. We have the organization and international distribution expertise with our Mast-Jäegermeister partners, our Teremana team and just as important, we have the ambition and work ethic. "

You've said in the past, I believe specifically in your interview for your recent Vanity Fair cover, that you would not run for President in 2024 because you "don't know a thing about politics." Yet, according to a poll this spring, almost half of Americans would vote in your favor. Could "The Rock" still be a potential presidential candidate in the future?

"Well, I think that poll of almost half of Americans being in favor of me running for president is so humbling. It sits me down and I don't know any other way to describe it. To have a little ability to potentially galvanize our country is humbling, very humbling. Might be the Teremana talking here but I still don't know a damn thing about being a politician. I don't know if I have that politician gene in my DNA. Leader? Yes. Patriot? All day long. Politician? No.

I feel the best position I can be in right now is to be a trusted, nonjudgmental place for people; regardless of what side of the street you live on, what color you are, what you do for a living, how you choose to live your life, what your bank account says, whether you drive a car or take the bus. I don't care. None of that matters to me. Just work hard, take care of your family, be good to people, be kind to people, be straight up, honor your word and always [have] some fun along the way. And don't be an a**hole. Like I said, I don't think I'd make a good politician."

Do you have a New Year's goal or resolution?

"To be honest, I usually don't have New Year's resolutions. I know I sound like an a**hole here but I'm the guy who usually just does it throughout the year. Whatever change needs to happen, I'll get it done and move on. But this past year has been different. It's opened my eyes a bit more to real change that needs to my attention. Work flow, work stream, what and who in my life really need my attention, what truly should be getting me out of bed. I've reached a point in my life this past year where I realized just how vital the idea and essence of time is; who and what gets my time these days. We don't get time back, so in 2022 and beyond, the people, the projects, the energy, the everything. Life. If it gets my time and gets me out of bed, then I'll go to sleep knowing it was worth it and it was all time wisely spent. Time is our greatest and most valuable currency."

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A critically endangered Malayan tiger named Eko was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy Wednesday after a man was attacked by the animal at a zoo in Naples, Florida, officials said.

The man, who is in his 20s, was seriously injured when he entered an unauthorized area of the tiger enclosure at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens and began either petting or feeding the tiger, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

The attack happened after the zoo had closed for the day. The man was part of a third-party cleaning service contracted by the zoo to clean restrooms and the gift shop, not the animal enclosure, the sheriff's office noted.

The tiger grabbed the man's arm and pulled it into the enclosure after he crossed "an initial fence barrier and put his arm through the fencing of the tiger enclosure," the sheriff's office statement said.

The first deputy to respond kicked the enclosure and attempted to get the tiger to release the man's arm, but the deputy "was forced to shoot the tiger," the sheriff's office said. The tiger died, a zoo official told CNN.

The unidentified man was transported to an area hospital.

This is the first incident of its kind to take place at Naples Zoo and with this tiger, said Courtney Jolly, the zoo's spokesperson. The zoo has also never had "anybody breach a barrier fence and put themselves in this situation," Jolly said.

The zoo has a "shoot team" that is trained for "daily crisis activity" and protocol is for that team to be at the zoo when it is open to the public, Jolly said. The team includes an incident commander, someone in charge of the animals, a lead shooter and a lead darter.

A grief counselor has been brought in for staff and will stay as long as needed, she added.

Eko was 8 years old and arrived at the Naples Zoo in December 2019, the official said. The zoo did not provide further details on the incident. Eko was a Malayan tiger, which are typically found on the Malay Peninsula and in the southern tip of Thailand, according to the zoo's website.

Malayan tigers are critically endangered and face threats including poaching and habitat loss, the zoo site said.

The zoo remained closed Thursday but will re-open Friday, Jolly said during a news conference Thursday.

"We're giving our staff some time to process what has happened but also give them some time to start the grieving process and the healing process," Jolly said. "It is a very sad day at the zoo. And we sincerely appreciate the community support."

Jolly said the zoo fully supports the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

"They have been incredible to us, not just yesterday but in the long run. We've been partners with them for a very long time," Jolly said. "If a person is in imminent danger, they have to take that action and we support CCSO, and the officer unfortunately had to do his job."

The Naples Zoo has decided to start a fund in Eko's name to honor him and his memory, but they are still determining the details of the fund, Jolly said.

The-CNN-Wire

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