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McConnell rebukes RNC for breaking tradition as GOP divided over censure resolution

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Republican lawmakers are divided on what could become a defining issue for the GOP after the Republican National Committee passed a censure resolution last week including language critics said suggested the Jan. 6 attack was “legitimate political discourse” — with the top Republican in Congress rebuking the RNC Tuesday.

The resolution, censuring GOP Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack — said the incumbent lawmakers were “participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse” — a phrase that has since come under fire and Cheney juxtaposed on social media with images of violence at the Capitol.

Asked about the RNC move at a weekly leadership press conference on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not address the “legitimate political discourse” language used directly, but offered his characterization of Jan. 6 and suggested the RNC was out of line to single out sitting members.

“Well, let me give him my view of what happened January the 6th. We all were here. We saw what happened. It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next. That’s what it was,” McConnell said.

“With regard to this suggestion that the RNC should be in the business of picking and choosing Republicans who ought to be supported, traditionally, the view of the national party committee is that we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions, and some issues,” he added.

Asked if he had confidence in RNC Chairperson Ronna McDaniel, McConnell said, “I do — but the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That’s not the job of the RNC.”

In an interview with Spectrum News in December, McConnell signaled his personal interest in the House committee’s work, despite blocking the formation of an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the attack last year, and said, “I think that what they’re seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.”

ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has struggled to maintain GOP infighting on his quest to become House speaker, whether he thought there was was “legitimate political discourse” on Jan. 6 after he dodged reporters questions on the topic last week.

“Everybody knows there was — anyone who broke inside,” McCarthy replied Tuesday.

McCarthy’s office called later to clarify that he meant that “anybody who broke inside was not” engaged in legitimate political discourse.

Asked also if he was supportive of the censure of Cheney and Kinzinger, McCarthy said, “I think I’ve already answered that question — there’s a reason why Adam is not running for reelection,” in an apparent reference to an earlier interview with OAN.

The No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. — who replaced Cheney as a member of leadership after an internal revolt last year — told reporters Tuesday, “The RNC has every right to take any action and the position that I have is you’re ultimately held accountable to voters.”

Asked also if she believes the violence on Jan. 6 was “legitimate political discourse,” Stefanik condemned the violence but proceeded to equate the violence of Jan. 6 to the “violence of 2020” — seemingly a reference to the national protests that took place following George Floyd’s murder.

But while House Republicans and close allies of Trump have defended the resolution, several members of Senate Republican leadership sought to distance themselves from it, with a number refuting the “legitimate political discourse” description.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas — a key ally of McConnell — told reporters Monday that the language in the resolution wasn’t appropriate.

“I just I think being accurate is really important, particularly when you are talking about something that sensitive, and I just think it was not an accurate description,” Cornyn said.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also on the Hill Monday for an evening leadership meeting with McConnell, reacted as if the RNC’s action is wholly apart from him and the Senate GOP.

“I mean it’s what they want to say. I’m clear what I believe has been,” said Scott, who has condemned rioters on Jan. 6 as “disgraceful and un-American.”

But Florida’s other senator, Sen. Marco Rubio, fell in line with messaging of the RNC and former President Donald Trump, condemning the Jan. 6 committee, instead, on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday as “a partisan scam.”

Other senators have wiggled around taking a clear stance.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who announced last month he is not running for reelection to the Senate, told reporters Monday, “Everybody has the right to peacefully protest, but they don’t have the right to be violent. Of course, there was protest that day that was not violent, but there was also a terrible violent and criminal part of it.”

Pressed on whether the RNC resolution and specific language was appropriate, he said, “I haven’t read what they said, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to call violent and criminal activity.”

Senate GOP Whip John Thune, R-S.D., up for reelection this year and often a target of former President Donald Trump — was pressed repeatedly on whether he supports the censure resolution, but demurred, saying the focus, instead, should “be forward, not backward.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., echoed the sentiment but in a more critical tone, saying, “We’ve got a lot of issues that we should be focusing on besides censuring two members of Congress because they have a different opinion.”

The RNC has come under intense questioning since Friday about the inclusion of the “legitimate political discourse” phrase in its censure resolution to Cheney and Kinzinger.

Asked Friday to elaborate on the description, the RNC official said the party is talking about “legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol.”

“Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line,” McDaniel said in a statement. “They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol. That’s why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution.”

McDaniel’s statement notably attempted to clarify the resolution’s “legitimate political discourse” language, adding the words, “that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol,” though that additional phrasing did not appear in the resolution that was passed Friday.

Senate and House Democrats have come out swinging against the RNC’s decision.

“Ronna McDaniel should be ashamed of herself,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. “What makes it worse is that our Republican colleagues here in the Capitol refuse to denounce it because they are a part of the cult, as well.”

Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, meanwhile, sought to pivot away from the issue on ABC’s This Week when pressed by co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday, condemning the violence of Jan. 6 but unwilling to denounce the resolution.

“My understanding is [the statement] pertains to the legitimate protesters that I saw that day,” McCaul said.

Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who voted against both of Trump’s impeachments, weighed in over the weekend to say that what transpired on Jan. 6 “was criminal, un-American, and cannot be considered legitimate protest.”

A handful of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” last year were also among the first to condemn the RNC language.

“What happened on January 6, 2021 was an effort to overturn a lawful election resulting in violence and destruction at the Capitol. We must not legitimize those actions which resulted in loss of life and we must learn from that horrible event so history does not repeat itself,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, tweeted.

Hers followed Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, writing Friday morning that “shame” falls on the party, that his niece, McDaniel, currently presides over.

“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost,” Romney tweeted.

And Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also reacted with apparent shock, tweeting, “The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th – HUH?”

The move to censure Cheney and Kinzinger marks the first time the national RNC has had a formal censure for an incumbent member of Congress backed by its members.

The day before the RNC vote, Kinzinger tweeted he has “no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution.”

Kinzinger, who is not running for reelection but has said his political career is not over, said in a statement that GOP leadership had allowed “conspiracies and toxic tribalism” to cloud “their ability to see clear-eyed.”

“I’ve been a member of the Republican Party long before Donald Trump entered the field,” Kinzinger said in a statement Thursday night. “Rather than focus their efforts on how to help the American people, my fellow Republicans have chosen to censure two lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office.”

Cheney also spoke to her identity as a “constitutional conservative” in a statement and said, “I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump.”

Education secretary warns easing mask mandates too early can cause disruption in schools

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A growing number of states are lifting mask mandates in schools, but Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says that prematurely easing restrictions could lead to more issues for in-person learning.

“We have to have our health experts at the table,” Cardona told ABC News Live on Tuesday. “Most importantly, we have to keep our schools open; our students cannot afford another round of disruption.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Delaware Gov. John Carney announced Monday that students will no longer be required to wear a mask in schools by mid-March.

Since a few months after the pandemic hit the United States, local politicians have come under pressure from parents and communities on both sides of the debate over children wearing masks in schools.

“We have people that are very passionate about what they believe,” Cardona said. “We have to remember to engage the perspectives of different parents, teachers.”

Cardona responded to claims of parents who argue that wearing a face mask negatively impacts their child’s learning, by pointing to a likely outcome of lifting restrictions too soon.

“You know what hinders kids’ learning? Being quarantined because they have COVID, or not having a teacher because their teacher has COVID,” he said.

Some experts say it is too soon to end mask mandates in schools because vaccination rates are not high enough among children and new cases are still being reported. Experts are especially concerned for children under 5 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine. Pfizer requested emergency use authorization for children 6 months old to 5 years old on Feb. 1, and a Food and Drug Administration advisory meeting is scheduled for Feb. 15.

“Many of our educators have children under the age of 5 that they go home to,” said Cardona. “We need to make sure our schools are safe for them to work. We have to honor and respect our educators and leaders who have difficult decisions.”

The education secretary said the easing of coronavirus protocols in the classroom are making some educators feel uncomfortable coming to work. Since the pandemic began, there’s been a teacher shortage, due to fears of contracting the virus, remote learning and an overall shift in how our nation’s educators teach and interact with young people.

“It’s been tough to be an educator the last couple years, not only because of the changes that they’ve had to experience in terms of being in-person one day and being fully remote the next, but they’ve been under a lot of pressure,” said Cardona. “There’s strong feelings in the community, oftentimes teachers are being blamed schools are not open.”

He noted that the country has made progress in keeping schools open throughout the last year, stating that in the beginning of President Joe Biden’s term, less than 50% of classes were held in person. Now, all schools have opened their doors, though some are still operating on a hybrid schedule.

Cardona said it’s important for school districts and politicians to remember what has succeeded in keeping students and educators safe in schools.

“What I’m hearing from educators is that they just want to make sure that their work environment is safe for their students,” he added. “But they also understand this pandemic has taken a toll and that we’re ready to move forward, but we can only do so if we protect our students and our staff, including the students who are not yet in our schools, the little ones that parents are going back home to.”

Pandemic’s impact on youth mental health ‘devastating’: Surgeon General

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told lawmakers on Tuesday that the pandemic has had a “devastating” impact on the mental health of America’s young people.

“I’m deeply concerned as a parent and as a doctor that the obstacles this generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate and the impact that’s having on their mental health is devastating,” Murthy told the Senate Finance Committee.

Senators expressed bipartisan support for addressing mental health issues among young people, with chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, raising alarm over recent increases in suicide attempts among American youth.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that emergency department visits for suicide attempts among teen girls were up more than 50% at the beginning of the pandemic, compared to the same period in 2019.

“Millions of young Americans are struggling under a mental health epidemic, struggling in school, struggling with addiction or isolation, struggling to make it from one day to the next. Our country is in danger of losing much of a generation if mental health care remains business as usual,” Wyden said. “And that means the Finance Committee has got to come up with solutions.”

A main issue, Murthy said, is access to care. He said that on average it takes 11 years from the onset of symptoms before a child begins receiving treatment.

Murthy’s main recommendations are to ensure access to “high-quality, culturally competent care,” focusing on prevention with school and community-based programs and developing a better understanding of the impact technology and social media have on young people.

“Currently there is a grand national experiment that is taking place upon our kids when it comes to social media and we need to understand more about what is happening, which kids are at risk, what impact these algorithms and the broader platforms are having on our children,” Murthy said.

He explained that, in addition to the positive effects social media platforms have had on young people, they have also, “exacerbated feelings of loneliness, futility and low self esteem for some youth,” and increased potential for negative messaging and bullying.

“Our obligation to act is not just medical, it’s moral,” Murthy said. “It’s not only about saving lives, it’s about listening to our kids who are concerned about the state of the world that they are set to inherit. It’s about our opportunity to rebuild a world that we want to give them, a world that fundamentally refocuses our priorities on people and community and builds a culture of kindness, inclusion and respect.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support. Call 1-800-273-8255 for help.

Democrats introduce federal gas tax holiday ahead of midterm elections

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Two Senate Democrats up for reelection introduced a bill on Wednesday to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax through the end of 2022, as millions of Americans grapple with the economic impacts of surging oil prices.

The Gas Prices Relief Act from Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., would suspend the $18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax through Jan. 1, 2023, according to a summary of the proposal shared with ABC News.

The senators, who are both on the ballot in November, released the proposal at a time when gas is roughly $3.45 a gallon nationwide, about $1 more expensive than a year ago, according to AAA.

“Arizonans are paying some of the highest prices for gas we have seen in years and it’s putting a strain on families who need to fill up the tank to get to work and school,” Kelly said in a statement. “This bill will lower gas prices by suspending the federal gas tax through the end of the year to help Arizona families struggling with high costs for everything from gas to groceries.”

“We need to continue to think creatively about how we can find new ways to bring down costs, and this bill would do exactly that, making a tangible difference for workers and families,” Hassan said in a statement.

At least four other Democrats, Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, have already signed on as co-sponsors of the measure. (Cortez Masto and Warnock, like Hassan and Kelly, are up for reelection in the fall.)

With inflation at a nearly 40-year high and Americans frustrated about the rising cost of many staples, Republicans have seized on the issue of gas prices as they try to retake the House and Senate in the midterms, pointing to the Biden administration’s economic agenda.

According to Gallup, just 33% of Americans are satisfied with the state of the economy — a 10-point drop from 2021 — and just 27% are satisfied with the nation’s energy policies.

Around the country, Democratic and Republican governors have proposed their own changes to state gas taxes ahead of the summer — by either freezing state gas tax collection or stopping planned increases from taking effect.

The Biden administration in November released 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help fight high gas prices before the holidays.

Cold weather and the possibility of sanctions against Russia over a potential invasion of Ukraine have both played a role in keeping the price of oil high, according to AAA.

Despite inflation, the Biden administration has touted the latest job numbers, arguing that the stronger-than-expected addition of 467,000 jobs in January signaled that the economy is weathering the pandemic as the latest wave of COVID-19 recedes.

House lawmaker apologizes for using vulgarity when asked to mask up

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Republican Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, the second-most senior lawmaker in the House, told ABC News he has apologized to Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, after she said he refused to put on his mask Tuesday when she asked him to and, instead, poked her and told her to “kiss my ass.”

“This afternoon, I met with Congresswoman Beatty to personally apologize. My words were not acceptable and I expressed my regret to her, first and foremost,” Rogers said in a statement.

Beatty, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, tweeted a thread about their exchange Tuesday afternoon that got more than 10,000 likes and 5,000 retweets in less than an hour from its posting.

“Today, while heading to the House floor for votes, I respectfully asked my colleague @RepHalRogers to put on a mask while boarding the train. He then poked my back, demanding I get on the train. When I asked him not to touch me, he responded, ‘kiss my ass,'” the Ohio lawmaker tweeted.

“This is the kind of disrespect we have been fighting for years, and indicative of the larger issue we have with GOP Members flaunting health and safety mandates designed to keep us and our staff safe,” she wrote.

In a third and final tweet, Beatty tagged Rogers’ Twitter account and said, “when you are ready to grow up and apologize for your behavior, you know where to find me.”

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday evening to demand Rogers apologize for what they suggested was a physical and verbal “assault” on Beatty and described overall incivility in the halls of Congress.

“I will not give Hal Rogers a pass,” said Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., who is running for Senate. “Look, we’re all dealing with the same thing, but his racist, inappropriate behavior against Joyce Beatty is totally unacceptable. And we will not tolerate it.”

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., first vice chair of the caucus, added, “We are here in solidarity to call on that member to formally apologize to our chair and to understand the seriousness of his actions and the lack of decorum that he exhibited today.”

The apology from Rogers, a Republican, to Beatty, a Democrat, marks a rarity in today’s hyper-partisan Congress.

Republicans have rebelled against mask requirements at the Capitol since they were imposed last year with the change of congressional leadership amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with some publicly questioning the efficacy of masks despite public health experts recommending them.

In a directive issued last month amid looming fears of the omicron variant, the Office of the Attending Physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, said it was required that all members and staff wear “medical-grade” masks throughout the House, unless members are speaking in the halls of the House or someone is alone. There is no mask requirement for the Senate chamber or the halls of Congress.

While Rogers not wearing a mask did not break any Capitol rules, Democrats have for months blasted Republicans for flouting COVID-19 precautions and what they say is a lack of concern over the health and safety of their congressional colleagues, especially with many in a higher age bracket.

Several Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for refusing to wear masks on the House floor but have characterized the rebukes as badges of honor.

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all Americans still wear masks in crowded indoor areas, such as on trains.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff escorted out of DC high school because of ‘security threat’

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, attending an event at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, was escorted out of the room by a U.S. Secret Service agent because of a reported “security threat.”

Emhoff was ushered out of the room at 2:18 p.m. by a Secret Service agent, according to a press pool report. Dunbar’s principal followed a few minutes later, the report said.

His staff informed the pool there was a security threat reported by the school to the Secret Service.

A school announcement came over the intercom at 2:34 p.m. calling on teachers to evacuate the school and reporters left the building as well.

Enrique Gutierrez, the press secretary for DC Public Schools, said, “It was an apparent bomb threat … It was a bomb threat. We’re taking precautions, evacuation — evacuating everybody. Seems like all the students are out and safe.”

Earlier, Emhoff’s office put out a news release saying that, in commemoration of Black History Month, Emhoff would visit the school “to meet with students who are participating in a program that helps them relate to history on a personal level.”

His wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, was not with him at the time.

Emhoff’s communications director, Katie Peters, said in a statement that Emhoff is safe after the U.S. Secret Service had been “made aware of a security threat” at the school.

“U.S. Secret Service was made aware of a security threat at a school where the Second Gentleman was meeting with students and faculty,” the statement said. “Mr. Emhoff is safe and the school has been evacuated. We are grateful to Secret Service and D.C. Police for their work.”

“This afternoon during an event attended by a Secret Service protectee, the Secret Service was made aware of a threat to the venue and immediately evacuated the protectee,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement.

“At this time there is no information to indicate the threat was directed toward our protectee. In order to maintain operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss our protectees or the means and methods used to conduct our protective operations,” the spokesperson said.

During a news conference later Tuesday, D.C. police said that the bomb threat at Dunbar High School during Emhoff’s visit appeared to be unrelated to previous bomb threats recently against Historically Black Colleges and Universities and that Emhoff wasn’t targeted, based on a preliminary investigation.

The bomb threat “doesn’t appear related and tied to what happened over the last few weeks but again, can’t rule it out,” Ashan M. Benedict, executive assistant chief of police with the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters.

DC-area sniper appeals life sentences given to him as a juvenile

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Maryland Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Tuesday over whether Lee Boyd Malvo, the last living D.C.-area sniper, should be given a revised sentence under new federal and state laws that apply to those convicted of crimes as juveniles.

In 2002, Malvo, who was then 17, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after a sniper spree nearly 20 years ago in which 10 people were killed and another three wounded in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia over a span of 22 days.

In 2009, Malvo pleaded guilty for his role in killing six people in Montgomery County, Maryland, and received six life sentences without the possibility of parole. That same year, Malvo’s co-conspirator, John Allen Muhammad, was executed by lethal injection after being sentenced to death in Virginia.

However, because Malvo committed the crimes as a juvenile in 2002, new laws have given his attorneys fresh arguments to try to gain Malvo’s release.

Kiran Iyer, a lawyer for Malvo, claimed that his client’s age was not considered when he was sentenced to the six life sentences in Maryland in 2006.

Iyer claimed the judge who sentenced Malvo did not take into account Malvo’s immaturity and what the law terms the “diminished capacity” of juvenile offenders.

Malvo’s lawyer argued the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case Miller v. Alabama, which said mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders is unconstitutional and violates the 8th Amendment, should be applied in Malvo’s case.

Iyer also argued new Maryland laws, including the Juvenile Restoration Act (JUVRA) that lets prisoners convicted as juveniles seek release after serving at least 20 years in prison, should apply. Juvenile offenders imprisoned at least 20 years can now file motion three times to attempt to receive a reduced sentence.

In recent years, lawmakers in Maryland and Virginia have passed similar legislation to abolish sentences of life without parole for crimes committed by juveniles.

Malvo, who is currently serving four life sentences for his conviction in Virginia, could be paroled in that state under new JUVRA laws. However, as things now stand, he’d then have to begin serving his Maryland sentence, needing to wait another 20 years to be considered for JUVRA consideration in Maryland.

On Tuesday, Malvo’s attorney asked the court to consider his sentences in Virginia and Maryland as one, noting, because of his conviction in Virginia, Malvo may never enter Maryland state custody. Iyer asked “for a meaningful opportunity for release from [Malvo’s] Maryland sentences.”

Carrie J. Williams, a Maryland assistant attorney general, attempted to poke holes in Malvo’s appeal to Maryland’s highest court. She argued that under Virginia laws, Malvo will have a meaningful opportunity for release starting later this year in Virginia due to a state law there that allows juvenile offenders to have a parole hearing after 20 years. She added that Maryland and Virginia did not violate the 8th Amendment or the Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama, because of the way JUVRA laws work.

She also argued that Malvo was nearly 18 when he committed the crime and noted, because of his age and laws at the time of the killings, he isn’t serving life without parole.

Williams told the court, “Mr. Malvo was nearly 18 when he committed these crimes is certainly relevant, it is certainly relevant for consideration when deciding whether he could be appropriately sentenced to life without parole. But in this case, because of JUVRA. He’s not serving life without parole, and in fact, because his sentence should not be considered in the aggregate. And in fact, no one is any longer serving life without parole in Maryland for crimes that they committed as a juvenile.”

She went after Malvo’s attorney’s plea that his sentencing in Maryland and Virginia should aggregate, noting the planning and length of the crimes he committed.

Williams argued “Mr. Malvo had multiple, multiple opportunities to reflect upon each one of his 10 bad decisions and the bad decisions that have not been prosecuted but to which Mr. Malvo has confessed. If Mr. Malvo’s sentences aggregate — if this court holds that Mr. Malvo’s sentences must be considered as one single sentence — it will be close to a per se rule that all juvenile sentences must aggregate. Because it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the where the– argument against aggregation would be stronger.”

COVID-19 live updates: Los Angeles County keeps mask mandate

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 908,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 64.2% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-Daily cases below 300,000 for 1st time this year
-Omicron estimated to account for 96.4% of new cases
-Michigan closes bridge to Canada amid trucker-led protests
-Oregon to lift mask mandates for indoor public spaces, schools by March 31

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Feb 08, 7:32 pm
Boston mayor lays out guidelines to drop vaccine proof requirement

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu outlined her plan to drop the city’s proof of vaccine requirement at indoor businesses including bars, movie theaters and restaurants.

The city must have fewer than 200 COVID-19 hospitalizations a day, 95% of ICU beds need to be free and the community positivity rate must be below 5%, before the requirement is removed, she said.

“The fastest way to help ensure we are relieving pressure on hospital capacity and driving down community positivity is to keep closing gaps with vaccination and boosters,” Wu said in a statement.

There are no immediate plans to end the city’s mask mandate in schools, she added.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Feb 08, 7:20 pm
LA County maintains mask mandate for schools

While California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that he will end the statewide mask mandate next week, Los Angeles County health officials said Tuesday they have no immediate plans to drop their mask mandate.

LA County Department of Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer told reporters the county’s decision will be made based on dropping hospitalization numbers or vaccination approval for young children.

The mandate will be dropped when daily hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven consecutive days, according to Ferrer. Once this threshold is met, “masking will no longer be required while outdoors at outdoor mega events or an indoor outdoor spaces at childcare and K to 12 schools,” Ferrer said.

Even if that threshold is not met, the mandate could be dropped eight weeks after vaccines are approved for children under 5. Pfizer submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration to have its vaccine approved for children 6 months to 5 years old. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15.

Los Angeles County is the second-largest school district in the country, with over 600,000 students.

Feb 08, 1:53 pm
Daily cases below 300,000 for 1st time this year

The U.S. case rate is dropping, down by 63.4% since the peak three weeks ago, according to federal data.

For the first time since December, U.S. daily cases are below 300,000.

However, experts continue to caution that the U.S. isn’t out of the woods. Case levels remain much higher than the nation’s previous surges and the U.S. is still reporting millions of new cases every week. Experts also point out that many Americans taking at-home tests are not submitting their results, and thus, case totals may be higher than reported.

On average, about 13,000 Americans with COVID-19 are being admitted to the hospital each day — a 26.4% drop in the last week, according to federal data.

Emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 cases are also on the decline, down by nearly 60% in the last month, federal data show.

The U.S. death average is at a plateau, with the nation reporting around 2,300 new COVID-19-related deaths each day, according to federal data. That average is significantly lower than last winter when the nation peaked around 3,400 deaths per day.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Feb 08, 11:28 am
Omicron estimated to account for 96.4% of new cases

The presence of the omicron sub-variant, BA.2, is increasing in the U.S., according to new data published by the CDC.

BA.2 was estimated to account for 3.6% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Feb. 5. BA.2 was projected to account for 1.2% of new cases the week prior.

The original omicron strain, B.1.1.529, still makes up the vast majority of new cases, accounting for an estimated 96.4% of cases in the U.S.

There is still much unknown about the BA.2 variant, but currently it doesn’t appear to demonstrate a more severe illness. There’s also no indication to suggest that BA.2 will further impact the efficacy of vaccines.

The delta variant, which accounted for 99.2% of all new cases just two months ago, is now estimated to account for 0% of new cases.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Eric M. Strauss

Gun violence interrupters point to promise of intervention programs

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — In North Lawndale, a neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago laden with crime and poverty, Derek Brown, founder of Boxing Out Negativity, has taken the fight against gun violence off the street and into the ring.

His program provides mentorship and a safe space for at-risk youth who are more likely to be swept up into street life.

“I’m a counselor, I’m a teacher, I’m a motivator, I’m whatever our children need,” Brown told ABC News. “Boxing took troubled kids and started programming them. In order to be ‘bad’ here, you have to run at least five miles a day, exercise all day, repeat the same techniques over and over and over until you get it mastered.”

“We’re not just fighting our way inside the ring, we’re fighting our way through life,” Brown continued. “Our everyday objective is to fight for ourselves, our families and friends and communities.”

As a former gang member who transitioned out of street life at 28, Brown, now 45, said he is acutely aware of environmental factors that lead young people down the wrong path.

Trumale Coleman, Brown’s 18-year-old mentee who has been in the boxing program since he was 8, said the lessons on discipline and dedication provided him with the tools to see his higher potential and navigate through an environment where violence is the norm.

“I never even thought I would do boxing. I never even thought I had as much knowledge as he gave me. He [Brown] is not my biological father; he is my spiritual father. I learn more every day, and what he teaches me, I teach everyone else,” Coleman said.

Experts say examining the environment that perpetuates gun violence is key to understanding the latest uptick in communities of color.

Dr. David Ansell, the senior vice president for community health equity at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and author of “The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills,” told ABC News that public health and poverty are directly correlated to high rates of gun violence.
MORE: Lessons from a ‘violence interrupter’ as shootings continue to ravage Chicago

“[West Chicago] has one of the highest COVID death rates in the city; it also has high rates of gun violence. These things are co-prevalent,” Ansell said. “What ties it all together is trauma over time and how people react to various traumas. Some of that trauma gets acted out in behavioral ways, with either mental illness, addiction or violence.”

Chicago Police department data showed that 48 people were killed in shooting homicides in January, ABC station WLS in Chicago reported. That’s a 13% decline compared to January 2021, police said.

There were 219 people shot last month, compared to 241 around the same time last year, the data showed.

“We’re seeing reductions in involvement in gun violence. We’re seeing reductions in victimization rates among the [community-led outreach organizations], all heading in the right direction,” Andrew Papachristos, professor of sociology at Northwestern University and director at the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative.

“It’s hard to prove,” he said. “It’s especially hard to prove because of the national surge in gun violence we just saw happen in Chicago. But even during COVID, even during this national surge in gun violence, we’re seeing positive direction in street outreach.”

Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative (N3) is a research collective that works with Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research to engage with community organizations and policymakers to address social problems in Chicago. Researchers have been studying the impact of community street outreach programs, and evidence shows that credible messengers — people who grow up in the same neighborhoods they serve — have a promising impact on lowering gun violence.

A 2021 N3 report evaluated the outreach program of Chicago CRED, anti-violence organization that provides mentorship and resources to at-risk youth, to identify how the use of credible messengers impacts gun violence in neighborhoods with high crime rates. The report identified young adults in the program to see how they perceive violence around them and examined how CRED engaged with them.

Early results from the study showed that there was evidence of a reduction in gunshot victimization and violent crime arrests among CRED participants.

“Overall, the number of fatal and non-fatal gunshot injuries across all CRED participants decreased by nearly 50%, and the number of arrests for violent crimes fell 48% in the 18 months following the start of participation in the program,” according to the report.

The average outreach worker in Chicago is a 44-year old Black man who’s been incarcerated, who got involved with gangs and the criminal justice system around the age 13, according to Papachristos. Twenty-five percent of outreach workers are Latino, and about 20% are women, he said, explaining that credible messengers can have a unique impact on the ability to reach disenfranchised members of low-income communities who are often out of reach by law enforcement and city officials.

“When we look at their lived experience, they have long histories of involvement and victimization. They’ve been victimized when they were young. They have a long history of involvement with gangs. They’ve been incarcerated and they largely have lived in the same community their entire life. So they’re quite familiar with what gun violence looks like in their neighborhood. They know the families, they know the people, they know the neighborhoods, they know the parks, they know the stories, and they’re part of those stories,” Papachristos said.

“This is the workforce that is charged with tackling gun violence,” he said, “and in some ways, they are the only workforce that can reach people that are at risk and bring them into these sorts of services.”

He added, “The question is not about, ‘Did they reduce violence by 50 or 60%,’ but rather, ‘How many lives were saved today?'”

Tio Hardiman, executive director of Violence Interrupters Inc, an anti-violence program focused on combating the culture of violence, uses peace circle and conflict resolution trainings to help at-risk youth de-escalate disagreements and avoid deadly retaliation.

“The violence interrupter trainings that I facilitate is very important because we have an opportunity to actually help young men and educate them on how to think on a higher level. That’s why the training is so important. We focus on the do’s and don’ts of conflict resolution and gang mediation,” Hardiman said. “The work of credible messengers is very impactful because it’s about saving lives. Last year, in 2021, Violence Interrupters Inc mediated around 60 conflicts that could have turned deadly.”

For Patricia Hillard, a West Garfield Park outreach worker, violence interruption work is about meeting people where they are.

That means doing outreach work on “Heroin Highway,” a stretch of West Garfield Park battered by the opioid crisis. It’s the same area Hillard said she dwelled when she was addicted to drugs. After years of sobriety, she said she found a new purpose in helping others.

Now a salaried employee with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, Hillard said that the residents she mentors trusts her, because she was once them.

“I was with them. I was with the drug dealer. I was the person out here running to get drugs. I did it all, and I survived,” Hillard said. “A lot of the guys around here, who are doing the shooting and the sliding, they know me. So I’ve actually been able to intervene with guns drawn.”

Investment in gun violence interruption programs are taking shape in major cities and states around the country.

President Joe Biden showed his support for community-led anti-violence programs during his visit to New York City last Thursday, where he discussed his and Mayor Eric Adams’ plans to tackle gun crimes. Biden’s Build Back Better plan proposes a $5 billion dollar investment in community-led programs, but that legislation remains stalled in Congress.

Papachristos said financial investment in street outreach as a profession could have major implications for the reduction of violence over.

“You can look at any map of any city, and the areas that have the highest levels of homicide also have the highest levels of poverty, dropout rates, low birth weight, exposure to toxins like lead. … It’s not that most poor people are criminals. It’s just that crime tends to concentrate by design in communities that lack resources and opportunities,” Papachristos said. “It’s vital right now more than ever, especially as you’re getting the attention from the White House and the State House, to find out how do we develop this workforce? What tools do they need?”

New York City considers making pandemic sidewalk dining rules permanent

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As New York City gets closer to its goal of returning to a pre-pandemic way of life, elected officials are considering making one emergency order a permanent fixture.

A New York City Council committee held its first hearing Tuesday on a bill requested by Mayor Eric Adams that would change the rules for restaurant outdoor seating permits that would allow for more businesses to provide a sidewalk seating option.

City councilmember Marjorie Velazquez, the bill’s co-sponsor, said during Tuesday’s hearing that thousands of restaurants around the city were able to survive the pandemic because of outdoor dining and argued that the city needed to adapt to help owners stay afloat.

“It’s important we save our small businesses, our restaurants,” she said during the zoning and franchises committee hearing.

However, some residents who have grown concerned over the noise, loss of street space and other trade-offs of sidewalk seating say this is one rule that shouldn’t outlast the emergency order.

Prior to the pandemic, restaurant owners would need to obtain approval from several agencies, pay a fee and go through numerous applications before they received an outdoor dining permit. The outdoor dining area would only be limited to a few feet on the sidewalk.

Roughly 1,400 restaurants, over 1,000 of which were in Manhattan, had outdoor seating permits before the pandemic, according to city records.

In June 2020, former Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an executive order that amended the city’s regulations and allowed struggling restaurants to apply for a permit for outdoor dining options in front of their restaurant, on parking spaces and, in some cases, on a closed off street. The seating area needed to meet several requirements, including a minimum of eight feet of sidewalk space for pedestrians and the removal of chairs and other items when the eatery is closed.

Fees were waived as part of the order, and the city’s Department of Transportation oversaw the temporary program.

Since the Open Restaurants program’s inception, the city has approved over 12,000 permits, 6,000 of which are for restaurants outside of Manhattan, according to data from the city. The program has been renewed several times during the pandemic and is set to expire when the city’s pandemic state of emergency ends.

The new proposed legislation would keep the outdoor dining rules in place permanently but would charge owners a $1,050 initial fee and a $525 annual fee for subsequent years. Once approved, the Department of Transportation would continue to issue guidelines for outdoor dining areas and regulate the businesses.

Several restaurant owners and advocacy groups said the rule change was a long time coming and would be a boon to their economic recoveries.

Loycent “Loy” Gordon, the owner of Neir’s Tavern, a 200-year-old bar in Queens, testified that without outdoor dining, his business would be permanently closed. He encouraged lawmakers to continue offering outdoor dining options to more restaurants.

“We have an opportunity to reimagine a bold and better new way forward. Outdoor dining is the start,” he said.

Not every New Yorker is keen to the idea.

Some opponents who testified at the hearing said the city has failed to enforce some regulations on outdoor dining areas regarding litter and noise, and they claimed that some restaurants are failing to provide ample space for pedestrians and cars.

Jeannine Kiely, the chair of a Manhattan community board, testified that the neighborhoods in her community board’s boundary have 1,000 restaurants with outdoor dining and despite thousands of city warnings for violations, the city has only issued 22 fines on owners and removed four permits.

“In baseball, it’s three strikes and you’re out. Not in New York City with open restaurants,” she said. “The city has a terrible track record.”

City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez acknowledged during the hearing that the city has had to deal with instances where an outdoor dining area stepped out of its bounds and inconvenienced neighbors, but he reassured attendees that they will take residents into consideration before they fine tune the regulations for a permanent basis.

“We are ready to take your feedback,” he testified.

The bill will have to pass in the zoning and franchises committee before going through a full council vote. Neither vote has been scheduled.

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