National News - Page 153

Omicron Surge Triggers Test Shortages and Strains Hospitals

By Aya Elamroussi, With coronavirus cases surging once again, frustrated Americans are struggling to get tested days before Christmas as long lines and increased demand overwhelm some facilities across the country. The catalyst has been the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which has become the dominant strain in the US in a matter of weeks and has led to a slew of new measures to combat the spread. With millions traveling or planning to join large family gatherings, there is a rush to get tested — and many people are running out of luck, either to get rapid tests at clinics or buying

Biden to announce plan for free at-home tests as he assures vaccinated Americans they don’t need to cancel holiday plans

By Kevin Liptak and Nikki Carvajal, President Joe Biden will announce Tuesday a purchase of a half-billion at-home rapid Covid-19 tests and a plan to distribute them free to Americans who request them through a website, one of a series of new steps he’ll unveil as the country faces a potentially crippling wintertime surge of infections. The 500 million new tests will be made available next month and will reach Americans through the mail, the official said. The administration is still working to determine how many tests each household may request. The new test shipment scheme will come during remarks meant to underscore

TSA screens more than 2M passengers for third straight day, despite rise in Covid-19 cases

By Sarah Fortinsky and Amir Vera, Despite a rise in Covid-19 cases and new restrictions emerging across the country, travelers at US airports do not appear to be deterred from following through on their vacation plans. More than 2 million people were screened at US airports December 16, 17 and 18, according to checkpoint data from the Transportation Security Administration. Those numbers are nearly double what they were a year ago but fall short of the pre-pandemic 2019 figures, the data shows. These increased numbers come as cities and even sports leagues struggle to control the surge in Covid cases and hospitalizations. Already this week, major sports

Omicron ‘is going to take over’ this winter, and Fauci says Americans should brace for a ‘tough few weeks to months’

By Dakin Andone and Susannah Cullinane, The United States is likely in for a hard winter as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spreads rapidly, Dr. Anthony Fauci says, straining a health care system already battered by the Delta variant. “It’s going to take over,” Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said of the Omicron variant on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, urging Americans to get vaccinated and get their booster shots. “And be prudent in everything else you do: When you travel in your indoor settings that are congregated, wear a mask.” “We can’t walk away from that, Jake, we can’t,”

White House Scales Back Holiday Events Amid Covid Concerns

By Kate Bennett, The White House will dramatically scale back holiday party festivities this year, due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns, opting instead for smaller open house-style events. “In the coming days, we will host a limited number of Holiday Open Houses, inviting guests to see the Christmas decorations in person at the White House,” first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa told CNN. The invitation-only open houses will be timed to 30-minute intervals per guest, with self-guided tours of the holiday decorations, a person familiar with the party protocols told CNN. Guests will also be required to take a Covid-19 test within 48 hours prior

Broadway Shows Cancel Performances Amid Covid-19 Surge

By Laura Ly and Kelly McCleary, Several Broadway shows were forced to cancel performances this week due to positive Covid-19 tests among the cast or crew, a setback for the industry that comes just months after it raised the curtain on an 18-month shutdown due to the pandemic. Since its return, Broadway has required eligible audiences, crews, performers and other staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This week, the Broadway League, a trade association for the industry, began enforcing a new vaccination and mask policy for children. The precautions are designed to ensure the show goes on in an industry that is a vital to New

Keechant Sewell Named First Black Woman NYPD Commissioner

By Peter Nickeas, When Keechant Sewell became the first Black woman to oversee Nassau County’s detective division 15 months ago, she said she hoped to “inspire service.” Sewell had come a long way. She spent her early years in public housing in Queens and started her law enforcement career on patrol just over the border on Long Island where she became a school resource officer and a police liaison to a shelter for troubled teens. “What I’ve been able to accomplish, I hope it inspires women, young girls, men — anyone who wants to be an officer and be able

Black Farmers Face USDA Loan Bias, Fight for Land and Aid

By Chandelis Duster and Janie Boschma, Texas cattle rancher Deydra Steans quit her teaching job three years ago to help save her family’s farming operations. She was prepared for the strenuous task of herding animals. Steans, 41, usually begins her day at 7 a.m. with her 68-year-old father, Elvin Steans. The pair talk over breakfast and a cup of coffee and then head out onto their ranch to feed cattle. She often drives the skid steer, a subcompact tractor that is used for a variety of farm tasks such as clearing brush and digging holes, across the 220-acre property. Some

DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Health Worker Mandate

By Ariane de Vogue and Tierney Sneed, The Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow a vaccine mandate aimed at certain extra health care workers to go into effect nationwide, marking the first time the justices have been asked to weigh in on a federal mandate the Biden administration put in place in order to get more Americans vaccinated in the midst of a surge of the Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants. So far, lower courts have blocked the health care worker mandate from being enforced in about half the country. The vaccine policy in question was rolled out by

Biden Awards Medal of Honor to Three Heroic Army Soldiers

By Maegan Vazquez, President Joe Biden bestowed the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious decoration in the US military, to three Army soldiers on Thursday afternoon. The medal was awarded posthumously to Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe and Army Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz, as well as Army Master Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee. “Each of you know what it is to stare down danger and summon strength in the face of a moment of trial. We’re grateful for all that you three have done,” Biden said during the ceremony in the White House East Room. Cashe, while on fire and exposed to enemy gunfire as

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