National News - Page 115

George Floyd’s preexisting conditions and drug use had no impact on his death, doctor says

By Eric Levenson and Aaron Cooper A renowned pulmonary critical care doctor testified Thursday morning that George Floyd died from a “low level of oxygen” when former police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the street and restricted his ability to breathe. “This caused damage to his brain that we see, and it also caused a PEA arrhythmia that caused his heart to stop,” Dr. Martin Tobin of Chicago testified, referring to pulseless electrical activity, a type of cardiac arrest. “The cause of the low level of oxygen was shallow breathing,” he added. “Small breaths. Small tidal volumes. Shallow breaths

Biden calls for ‘peace and calm’ in the wake of Daunte Wright’s fatal encounter with police in Minnesota

By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden on Monday called for “peace and calm” in the wake of Daunte Wright’s fatal encounter with police in Minnesota, saying his death does not justify violence or looting. Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was fatally shot Sunday afternoon by police during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. The President said that he’s been briefed on the situation and is awaiting a full investigation into the matter before weighing in on the officer’s intentions. He added that he has seen the body camera footage of Wright’s traffic stop. “It’s really a

Tishaura Jones becomes first Black female mayor of St. Louis

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In a contest between two St. Louis Democrats, City Treasurer Tishaura Jones defeated Alderwoman Cara Spencer to become the city’s first Black female mayor. A Hampton University graduate, Mayor Jones faces multiple challenges. “Making history as the first Black woman mayor is not lost on me,” Jones said. “I’m also looking at how little girls will look at this going forward and see that they have a mayor that looks like them.” Like everywhere, St. Louis is enduring tense times. With COVID-19 variants a troublesome X factor, public health is an immediate priority. Yet this doesn’t put rising violent crime-

As vaccinations keep rising, so do Covid-19 hospitalizations among those who aren’t vaccinated

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By Christina Maxouris, Holly Yan and Claire Colbert First, the good news: The United States reported a record-high 4.6 million doses of vaccines administered in one day, according to data published Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Amazing Saturday! +4.63M doses administered over total yesterday, a new record,” tweeted Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, the White House Covid-19 data director. “More than 500K higher than old record last Saturday. Incredible number of doses administered.” The problem is that more than 75% of the US population isn’t fully vaccinated, according to CDC data Saturday. Now the bad news: For the

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, dead at 99

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By Max Foster, Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Luke McGee Prince Philip, the lifelong companion of Queen Elizabeth II and the longest-serving consort in British history, died at the age of 99 on Friday. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. The death of the

Efforts ramp up to vaccinate people of color against COVID-19

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By David Wahlberg MADISON, Wisconsin (madison.com/Wisconsin State Journal) — For Mao Lor, 65, getting a COVID-19 vaccine was painless and will make her feel safer leaving home, she said. “There’s no hurt,” the resident of the Bayview apartments in Downtown Madison said after receiving a shot Wednesday. “I need to protect (myself) so I can go to the store.” Ana Rios, 63, who also lives at Bayview, said she’ll keep wearing her mask even after getting her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. “We have to protect each other,” she said through interpreter Yenny Juarez. With all Wisconsin residents 16 and

The IRS has no plans to bring back a tool that helped low-income Americans get their stimulus checks. Here’s what to do instead

By Katie Lobosco About 8 million low-income people were eligible for stimulus payments last year but never received the money, raising concerns about getting the latest round of help to those most in need — yet there’s no sign the Internal Revenue Service plans to restore a tool that would make it easier. Early in the pandemic, the IRS created a simple online form to allow low-income people who aren’t usually required to file tax returns to provide their contact information to the agency. But that tool has remained offline since November, even after Congress approved two more rounds of

A growing number of US colleges and universities are requiring students to get Covid-19 vaccinations

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By Elizabeth Stuart As colleges and universities nationwide make plans to welcome back students in the fall, a growing number have announced they will require all students to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before returning to campus. So far, at least 14 colleges have said vaccinations will be required, according to a CNN tally — and that number is expected to grow. Universities have been implementing vaccination policies since late March, when Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, became one of the first to say that having all students vaccinated will allow for an “expedited return to pre-pandemic normal,”

You’re vaccinated now, so can you go to a restaurant? What you should know

Kristen Rogers As the vaccinated percentage of the population increases, you may be wondering whether now is finally the time to enjoy a meal that isn’t homemade or takeout. Indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars is riskier than some other places for a few reasons, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Not only are people from different households gathering in the same space, but you have to take your mask off to eat and drink. “You still have to be very careful with being in these areas,” said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician

There’s a lot of debate about vaccine passports right now. What are they, and how would they work?

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By Theresa Waldrop With millions of Americans being vaccinated against Covid-19 every day, a heated debate is underway — do these people need proof of immunization in the form of a vaccine passport? Just like a national passport, a vaccine passport could allow the bearer entrance to a venue, like a crowded concert, or a foreign country that demands proof of vaccination in addition to a visa and valid national passport. Vaccination cards from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aren’t quite the same as a vaccine passport. Though they are a record of what vaccine a person

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