National News - Page 117

Church made famous by Paul Revere reckons with its ties to slavery

By Artemis Moshtaghian The main reason people come to visit the Old North Church in Boston’s historic North End is to see the famous steeple where two lanterns signaled to Americans Paul Revere’s famous cries that “the British are coming!” “We fit right into a paradox because of this steeple that everyone is looking to as a symbol of freedom and independence,” Old North Church & Historic Site Executive Director Nikki Stewart told CNN. “That same steeple was made possible by the labor of slave trade and Africa.” On Tuesday, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that the Old North

Arizona governor to exclude school districts with mask mandates from new education grants

By Paul LeBlanc and Andy Rose Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Tuesday that the state would use federal Covid relief money to increase the funding available to public school districts only if they’re open for in-person learning and don’t require children to wear masks. To be eligible for the grant funding — $163 million in total — Arizona school districts must be open for in-person learning as of August 27 and must be “following all state laws,” including the ban on school mask mandates that Ducey signed into law in June. “Parents are in the driver’s seat, and it’s their right

Afghans watch nervously as Taliban regime takes shape, and US and its allies continue frantic exit

By Rob Picheta, Celine Alkhaldi, Nada Bashir and Nina Avramova Thousands of desperate Afghans remain stranded under Taliban rule in Kabul on Tuesday, as the US and its allies — still frantically evacuating their personnel from the city’s airport — reckon with the sudden breakdown of their two-decade effort in Afghanistan. The situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport is “stabilizing,” the UK’s foreign secretary said on Tuesday, a day after crowds of locals poured onto the tarmac and clung onto military planes, searching for a way out of the city. Western nations continued the rush to get their citizens away from the site, with

As the government talks about vaccine boosters, it’s time to cover the endemic reality of Covid

By Brian Stelter As US government officials prepare to brief the public about Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, there is an emerging consensus coming from influential corners of the national news media: people should anticipate that Covid-19 is here to stay. It’s time to adjust expectations accordingly. While some countries are still pursuing a “Covid zero” strategy, the United States clearly is not. The goal should be — indeed, has to be — risk minimization, not risk elimination. The Atlantic’s homepage led with a headline that made this point on Tuesday: “The Coronavirus Is Here Forever. This Is How We Live With It.” The word

Historic increase in food stamp benefits is on the way

By Tami Luhby Food stamp benefits will jump 27% above pre-pandemic levels, on average, starting in October — the largest increase in the program’s history, the Biden administration announced Monday. The boost, which advocates say is long overdue, stems from an update to the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines the benefit amounts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the formal name for food stamps. The plan estimates the cost of groceries needed to provide a budget-conscious diet for a family of four. Republican lawmakers, however, are already questioning the revision and its increased cost. The update comes as

Biden administration expected to advise Covid booster shots for most Americans

By Kaitlan Collins Top health officials in the Biden administration are coalescing around an agreement that most Americans should get Covid booster shotseight months after becoming fully vaccinated, two sources familiar with the discussions tell CNN. The plan, which is still being developed, would involve administering third shots beginning in mid- to late September, one source added, pending authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that the companies have submitted initial data to the FDA to support the use of booster doses for their Covid-19 vaccines. The plan could be announced as soon as

Pfizer submits data to FDA showing a booster dose works well against original coronavirus and variants

By Madeline Holcombe and Jen Christensen Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday they have submitted initial data to the US Food and Drug Administration to support the use of a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine. The booster dose elicited a significantly higher antibody response against the initial strain of coronavirus and the Delta and Beta variants, compared to what was seen among people who got two doses. The booster dose seemed to be equally protective against the Delta and Beta variants as against the original coronavirus. “Given the high levels of immune responses observed, a booster dose given within 6 to

Multiracial population grew in almost every county in the US. It doesn’t mean racism is over

By Nicole Chavez Bárbara Abadía-Rexach spent months appearing in webinars and radio shows talking to Puerto Ricans about why they should identify as Black or more than one race on the 2020 Census. “If you are constantly being described as non-White, why would you still choose White?” said Abadía-Rexach, a Black Latina and member of Colectivo Ilé, an anti-racism group of educators and organizers in Puerto Rico. The figures released by the Census Bureau Thursday show that the multiracial population in almost every county in the United States grew between 2010 and 2020. In Puerto Rico, half of the people

A third dose of Covid-19 vaccine is now authorized for some. Here’s what you need to know about boosters for all

By Jacqueline Howard Vaccine makers are preparing for a next possible phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout: booster doses. The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized third doses of both the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines for certain immunocompromised people: solid organ transplant recipients or “those who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.” The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on the authorization and now recommends an additional dose of vaccine for these certain people. But these doses will be considered part of the initial vaccination

Texas Supreme Court sides with governor and temporarily blocks mask mandates

By Rosa Flores, Keith Allen and Alaa Elassar The Texas Supreme Court sided with Gov. Greg Abbott Sunday in a ruling that temporarily blocks local mask mandates recently issued in San Antonio and Dallas, however officials said they will continue to enforce at least a portion of the mask mandates, despite the court ruling. The Texas Supreme Court granted stay orders Sunday, but previously scheduled hearings on local mask mandates in lower courts in Bexar and Dallas counties will proceed as scheduled. Abbott issued an executive order last month that barred governmental entities, including school districts, from requiring mask wearing.

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