National News - Page 149

Oldest U.S. WWII Veteran Lawrence Brooks Dies at 112

By Lauren M. Johnson, The oldest known living US World War II veteran died Wednesday at 112, the National WWII Museum said. Lawrence Brooks was drafted into the US Army at 31 and spent World War II in the predominantly African American 91st Engineer Battalion, which was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines, according to the museum. After the war, he worked as a forklift operator for 40 years. Brooks’ wife, Leona, died in November 2008, and he is survived by five children, 13 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren, the museum said in a statement. Since 2014, the museum said it has hosted birthday parties for

Louisiana Pardons Homer Plessy After 130 Years

By Tina Burnside, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday granted a posthumous pardon to Homer Plessy, the man at the center of the landmark civil rights Supreme Court ruling, Plessy v. Ferguson. The governor was joined by Plessy descendants at a ceremony in New Orleans, where he officially signed the pardon. The ceremony, which was attended by city leaders and relatives, was near the original location where Plessy was arrested nearly 130 years ago. Plessy, a shoemaker, purchased a first-class ticket on June 7, 1892, to board a Louisiana train. He sat in the Whites-only section and refused to leave

January 6 Was Just the Beginning of a Threat to Democracy

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, If January 6, 2021, was just one infamous day in history, its stain on the American story would still reverberate through generations. But the US Capitol insurrection was far from a self-contained day of rage. It was both the culmination of the rule of an aberrant, demagogic President and a catalyst for the most enduring onslaught on America’s system of elective governance in decades. It legitimized violence as a tool of political expression among millions of citizens and cast the haunting possibility that as horrific as that day was, it may be only a preview of a deeper democratic

Omicron Surge Strains U.S. Hospitals and Schools Nationwide

By Travis Caldwell, As the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations surpasses those during the Delta variant surge over the summer and fall, more states are enacting emergency protocols to deal with growing staff shortages at hospitals. The greater transmissibility of the Omicron variant — which in just one month has led to millions of new cases — has left frontline workers at a higher risk of exposure, needing to quarantine and recover after positive tests. And health officials are working to plug any gaps in coverage. In the last week, states such as Ohio, Maryland, Delaware and Georgia have mobilized National Guard members to assist

Omicron and You: COVID Safety Tips for Kids and Adults

By Katia Hetter, The United States is facing an unprecedented surge of Covid-19 infections, driven in large part by the very highly contagious Omicron variant. New research is coming out every day about Omicron, and people have many questions about what this surge — and the new variant — means for considering personal risk. To begin with, what is the risk of Omicron to someone who is vaccinated and boosted? Are vaccinated children safe to go back to school? Is it safe to continue going to restaurants and concerts? And what’s the best way to protect kids under age 5

Tennessee Trains Stylists to Spot Domestic Abuse Signs

By Kaanita Iyer, The relationship between a hairstylist and a client can be far more than simply somebody to cut and shape hair, which is why Tennessee is the latest state to require cosmetologists to complete training on how to recognize and respond to signs of domestic abuse. “The relationship that beauty professionals have with their clients is very special,” said Suzanne Post, a salon owner and survivor of domestic abuse who worked with the local YWCA to bring the idea of such a requirement to legislators. “We hear everything and so being able to be equipped with resources that could

Capitol Police Boost Security Ahead of Jan 6 Anniversary

By Geneva Sands and Whitney Wild, Law enforcement and federal authorities in the Washington area are stepping up security efforts in anticipation of the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday that the department is operating at a “heightened level of vigilance, because we are at a heightened level of threat” in general, but he added that DHS is not aware of any credible threats specifically related to the anniversary or January 6. “The threat of domestic violent extremists is a very great one,” he told reporters. US Capitol Police Chief Tom

Supreme Court Weighs Biden’s OSHA Vaccine Mandate Battle

By Joan Biskupic, The two visions of pandemic America have arrived at the US Supreme Court. To the Biden administration, this is a life-or-death moment. Administration lawyers defending a new workplace vaccination requirement highlight the human toll of the deadly virus, a collapsing health care system and the “grave danger” of Covid-19 transmission among workers. Businesses and states that brought the lawsuits to be heard at the high court on Friday say the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test regulation for large employers would cause workers to quit and profits to plunge. The challengers stress the cost to the national economy and to individual liberty. The

Chicago Teachers Vote for Remote Learning Amid COVID Surge

By Theresa Waldrop and Omar Jimenez, The Chicago Teachers Union voted to teach virtually rather than in the classroom, triggering a cancellation of classes Wednesday which the school district leadership warned would happen if the union vote passed. CPS, the third-largest school district in the country, resumed in-person learning Monday in conditions union leaders described as unsafe as the Omicron virus variant sent Covid-19 cases soaring around the country. The union held an emergency meeting Tuesday evening to hold the vote by its delegates (elected union leaders for individual schools) on virtual teaching and then poll its 25,000 members electronically. The vote was 73%

FDA Expands Pfizer Booster Eligibility to Ages 12 and Up

By Deidre McPhillips, The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine boosters to children ages 12 to 15. The agency also shortened the time needed before receiving a booster shot from at least six months after completion of the initial series to at least five months, for everyone 12 and older. “Throughout the pandemic, as the virus that causes Covid-19 has continuously evolved, the need for the FDA to quickly adapt has meant using the best available science to make informed decisions with the health and safety of the American public

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