National News - Page 148

CDC Faces Scrutiny Over COVID Guidance and Messaging

By Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Kevin Liptak, Dr. Rochelle Walensky assumed her new role as the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last January with a vow to restore trust in the agency. But last fall, several months into the job and after a series of messaging missteps, Walensky sought out media training. For months, Walensky has met privately with prominent Democratic media consultant Mandy Grunwald to improve her communication skills and continues to do so, according to a person familiar with the previously unreported sessions. On Friday, Walensky will hold the CDC’s first independent media briefing since

Chicago Schools Closed Amid COVID Dispute With Teachers Union

By Amir Vera and Brad Parks, Negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and city officials stretched into another week Monday as students will miss their fourth consecutive school day amid a disagreement over how schools should handle the city’s Covid-19 surge. The union wants a period of remote learning, while the city wants kids in classrooms. As of Friday, Chicago was averaging more than 5,200 new cases a day, a 16% increase over the prior week, according to the city health department’s Covid tracker. The city’s Covid-19 test positivity rate had a daily average of 21.1%. “Out of fairness and consideration for parents who

Congress Tightens COVID Rules as Omicron Cases Surge on Hill

By Melanie Zanona and Lauren Fox, Congress is stepping up its health protocols amid renewed fears over the coronavirus, with the Capitol Hill community bracing for a spike in cases in the coming weeks as both chambers return to Washington during the nationwide surge in infections. The Senate gaveled back into session last week, while the House is set to return Monday, marking the first time both chambers will be in session since the Omicron variant has fueled a fresh wave in cases around the country. Even before the break, there had been an uptick in infections among lawmakers, staffers and

Key Harris Staffers Exit Amid Ongoing Office Turnover Reports

By Donald Judd, Two staffers announced Wednesday that they are leaving Vice President Kamala Harris’ office. Peter Velz, Harris’ director of press operations, shared news of his departure from the White House, which was first reported by Politico, in a series of tweets. “Today is my last day at the White House, and it truly has been an honor. I will be forever grateful to Vice President Harris, the incredible Team @VP, and I’m so proud of our work this past year supporting this historic Administration,” Velz wrote. “The White House is an amazing place to work — you’re surrounded by the most

Sidney Poitier: A Trailblazer Who Changed Hollywood Forever

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By Brandon Griggs, Sidney Poitier, whose elegant bearing and principled onscreen characters made him Hollywood’s first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar, has died. He was 94. Clint Watson, press secretary for the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, confirmed to CNN that Poitier died Thursday evening. Poitier overcame an impoverished background in the Bahamas and softened his thick island accent to rise to the top of his profession at a time when prominent roles for Black actors were rare. He won the Oscar for 1963’s “Lilies of the Field,” in which he

Chicago Schools Face Chaos Amid Covid Safety Dispute

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By Dakin Andone and Omar Jimenez, As school district officials and the teachers union continue to negotiate a return to classrooms, Chicago Public Schools announced Thursday that while most schools will be closed again Friday, a few will have in-person learning and activities. The announcement appeared to catch principals off-guard. The district tweeted Thursday evening that in-person learning and activities may be available “at a small number of schools” on Friday. “Please do not plan on sending your child to school unless you hear from your child’s principal,” the district said. The Chicago Principals & Administrators Association said it was “blindsided” by

Experts Urge Isolation as Omicron Outpaces Rapid Testing

By Travis Caldwell, With Covid-19 tests hard to find in many parts of the country and the Omicron variant spreading rapidly, health experts are advising those with symptoms to isolate themselves if they even only suspect they have the virus. And with the recent news that rapid antigen tests may lag in detecting positive cases when compared to PCR tests, the best time to take a rapid test may be a day or two after symptoms arrive, epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina said Thursday. “The important thing is, when you feel symptoms, assume you’re positive at this point, especially with Omicron being so prevalent,” Mina said in

Winter Storm Slams Northeast, Disrupts Travel and Schools

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By Mallika Kallingal, A fast-moving winter storm that pummeled parts of Kentucky and Virginia is expected to cause widespread disruption across the Northeast on Friday and Saturday, dumping between 4 and 12 inches of snow on the region’s major cities. More than 60 million people are under winter weather alerts, and local officials have taken pre-emptive measures to prepare the densely-populated region, including shutting government offices and ordering school closures. The forecast calls for as much as 12 inches of snow in Boston, with 4 to 6 inches in Washington DC, 3 to 5 inches in New York City and up to 4 inches in Philadelphia,

Jan. 6 Committee Eyes Trump Ties, Preps Public Hearings

By Annie Grayer, Ryan Nobles and Whitney Wild, As the first anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol approaches, the House committee investigating January 6 faces its biggest challenge yet: proving allegations that there was a coordinated effort behind the insurrection and convincing the American people that former President Donald Trump was complicit. To do so, the House select committee is sketching out its strategy for 2022, including preparing for a series of public hearings intended to address Trump’s continued false claims that the election was somehow fraudulent. Envisioned as prime-time broadcasts, some of those hearings would focus on the two months between

CDC Updates Covid Guidelines for K-12 Schools Nationwide

By John Bonifield, The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for Covid-19 prevention in K-12 schools on Thursday, aligning the recommendations with the agency’s recently updated Covid-19 quarantine and isolation guidelines for the general public. It also expands its recommendations for screening testing and urges canceling or going virtual with some extracurricular and sports activities in order to protect in-person learning. The new K-12 school recommendations say children who have not been fully vaccinated and are exposed to the coronavirus should quarantine for at least five days after their last close contact with a person who has Covid-19. Adults who

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