National News - Page 152

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

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

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