On Wednesday, the United States recorded more than 3,000 COVID-19 deaths, a single-day pandemic record.

This new high comes as the country struggles with uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus. In April, when COVID-19 was hitting the northeastern United States hard, the seven-day average U.S. death toll reached more than 2,000 per day.

Tuesday was California's deadliest day since the pandemic began, with 219 COVID-19 deaths; the previous high of 214 deaths was recorded on July 31, the Los Angeles Times reports. More than 15,360,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States, with at least 288,000 people dying of the virus. Catherine Garcia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said it is "clear" that Iran was behind an attack in the Gulf of Oman last week that targeted an Israeli-owned cargo ship.

"Iran is the greatest enemy of Israel," Netanyahu told the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. "I am determined to halt it. We are hitting it in the entire region."

An explosion rocked the Helios Ray on Friday, as the cargo ship was on its way to Singapore. No one on the crew was injured in the blast, but U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press the ship did sustain damage above the waterline. The ship was carrying cars, and prior to the explosion had stopped in multiple ports in the Persian Gulf to drop off vehicles. The Helios Ray arrived in Dubai on Sunday for repairs and an inspection, and it remains unclear what caused the blast.

On Sunday night, Syrian state media reported several airstrikes took place near Damascus, with air defense systems intercepting most of the missiles. Israeli media says the airstrikes were against Iranian targets and carried out in response to the ship attack. The Israeli military declined to comment to AP.

Iran has pinned several recent attacks inside the country on Israel, including an explosion last summer at a nuclear facility and the killing of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the founder of Iran's military nuclear program. Catherine Garcia

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) sees a way Republicans can win back the House, Senate, and White House: Ditch former President Donald Trump.

During an appearance Sunday on CNN's State of the Union, Cassidy warned his party that if it does not shift its focus to the issues, GOP candidates will lose in upcoming elections. "Political campaigns are about winning," Cassidy said. "Our agenda does not move forward unless we win. We need a candidate who can not only win himself or herself, but we also have to have someone who lifts all boats. And that's clearly not happened over the last four years."

Cassidy — one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol — does not think Trump will be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. He said Republicans need to connect with voters on "those issues that are important to the American people" if they want to win the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election, not worry about "putting one person on a pedestal and making that one person our focal point. If we idolize one person, we will lose. And that's kind of clear from the last election." Catherine Garcia

When his surfboard drifted away from him during a November surfing session, Lee Brogan thought it was gone forever. Instead, it was found more than 400 miles away by a woman intent on getting the surfboard back to its owner.

Brogan lost the surfboard while at Runswick Bay in northeastern England. It ended up traveling across the North Sea, washing up in the village of Skeld in the Shetland Islands. On Dec. 28, Stephanie Riise and her partner Jake Anderson found the surfboard on the beach, and Riise immediately posted photos of it on a Facebook page called Shetland Seashore Discoveries.

Riise told The Scotsman she was hoping the owner would quickly claim it, and within an hour she received a message that the board belonged to Brogan. It was "unbelievable" how fast it all came together, Riise said, and once a "shocked" Brogan contacted her the next morning with proof that it was his surfboard, they worked on a plan to get it back to him.

Joel Friedlander, a local courier, ended up packing the surfboard in the back of his truck, and dropping it off at Brogan's house — the trip took 18 hours, including a 12-hour ferry crossing. Brogan was so excited to see the surfboard that it "was like a child at Christmas," Friedlander told The Scotsman. The surfboard has a few dings and needs to be painted in some spots, but considering the long journey, it's in good shape. Everyone is content now that the surfboard is back where it belongs, and Riise said that seeing Brogan "so thankful and appreciative has really made it worthwhile." Catherine Garcia

Andra Day just scored a lead drama actress Golden Globe, becoming only the second Black woman to do so in history.

At Sunday's Golden Globes, Day won the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. She's just the second Black winner of this prize, the first being Whoopi Goldberg, who won in 1986 for The Color Purple.

In fact, throughout the almost 80-year history of the Golden Globes, there have only ever been 12 Black nominees in this category, according to Gold Derby. Another one of the 12 came this year, as Viola Davis was also nominated for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and previous Black nominees include Diana Ross, Halle Berry, and Cynthia Erivo.

The Golden Globes have long been criticized over a lack of diversity at the show, and it was recently revealed that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that selects the winners, doesn't have a single Black member. During Sunday's show, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association acknowledged that the organization has "work to do." Brendan Morrow

Nomadland just made history at the Golden Globes.

The film from Chloé Zhao won the top prize of Best Motion Picture — Drama at Sunday's Golden Globes, becoming the first movie directed by a woman to ever win this award, according to Variety. Female-directed films have previously won Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, most recently Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, but never in the drama category.

The Golden Globes, which have for years been criticized for failing to recognize female directors, already made history in 2021 by nominating three women for Best Director, the most ever in one year. In addition to Zhao, who won the award, Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell and One Night in Miami's Regina King were also nominated. King's film, however, was one of a number of movies with a Black ensemble snubbed for a best picture nomination by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group that doesn't have a single Black member.

Nomadland might be on track to also win Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards, although it wouldn't be the Oscars' first Best Picture winner from a female director, as Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker won in 2010. That year, Golden Globes voters gave their top drama prize to James Cameron's Avatar instead. Brendan Morrow

High five!

Sacha Baron Cohen on Sunday won the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy film for his role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The film also won the award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.

Not only was this Baron Cohen's second Golden Globe win, but it was his second win specifically for playing Borat Sagdiyev. He previously won this same award for the original Borat in 2007. This, according to Gold Derby, makes Baron Cohen the first person to win multiple times in this category for playing the same character.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which was filmed in secret during the COVID-19 pandemic and culminated with an infamous prank on former President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, also scored a nomination at Sunday's Golden Globes for Maria Bakalova, who played Borat's daughter. Plus, Baron Cohen was nominated not just for Borat, but also for best supporting actor for his performance in The Trial of the Chicago 7. Clearly, his 2020 was a great success. Brendan Morrow