News – Page 2852 – 105.7 WDNY

COVID-19 live updates: Pfizer delays request for vaccine for kids under 5

February 11, 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 915,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 64.3% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Feb 11, 1:55 pm
Pfizer delays request for vaccine for kids under 5

Pfizer said it has postponed its application to the FDA to expand the use of its COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5.

Pfizer instead will continue with its study on the three-dose vaccine and seek authorization when that data is available.

“We believe additional information regarding the ongoing evaluation of a third dose should be considered as part of our decision-making for potential authorization,” Pfizer said.

FDA independent advisors will no longer meet on Tuesday.

-ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss

Feb 11, 12:09 pm
US cases at lowest point since Christmas

The daily case average in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest point since Christmas, with the nation now reporting an average of 215,000 new cases each day — a 71% drop in the last three weeks, according to federal data.

However, even with the declines, nearly 99% of U.S. counties are reporting high transmission. Also, many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals may be higher than reported.

U.S. hospitalization rates are also declining.

On average, about 12,100 Americans are being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 each day, down by about 25% in the last week, according to federal data.

The national average continues to plateau around 2,300 new COVID-19-related deaths per day.

Feb 11, 6:56 am
New York City’s unvaccinated workers face termination

About 3,000 municipal workers in New York City — less than 1% of the city’s workforce — face termination Friday after refusing to abide by a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The requirement, established under former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, applies to municipal employees hired after Aug. 2, 2021, who were told to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment and to unvaccinated police officers, correction officers, firefighters and others who opted to forego city health benefits and are currently on leave because they are not vaccinated.

The mandate achieved a vaccination rate among municipal workers of more than 95%. A number of exceptions were approved in recent months.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday that some workers initially facing termination had submitted their proof of vaccination, so the final number wasn’t yet clear. He reiterated that the stragglers aren’t being fired but are “quitting.”

“The responsibility is clear,” Adams told reporters Thursday. “We said it. If you were hired, you get this job, you have to be vaccinated. If you are not following the rules, you are making that decision. You are making the decision that you are not going to follow the rules of getting vaccinated. And that is a decision they are making.”

“I want them to stay, I want them to be employees of the city,” he added. “But they have to follow the rules.”

-ABC News’ Mark Crudele and Aaron Katersky

Feb 10, 3:24 pm
1st vaccine shipments for kids under 5 could be as soon as Feb. 21, pending FDA authorization

The first vaccine shipments for children under 5 could arrive at pediatricians’ doors as soon as Feb. 21, according to a planning guide sent to states from federal health officials and obtained by ABC News.

Doses can ship once the FDA signs off.

The FDA’s independent advisory committee will meet on Tuesday and after that the FDA can issue an emergency use authorization.

The CDC’s independent advisory panel is expected to meet within days of the FDA’s authorization. Once the CDC signs off on its panel’s recommendations, vaccinations for kids under 5 can start.

-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik

Feb 10, 2:18 pm
Walensky: Difficult to release guidance that works everywhere from NYC to rural Montana

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged that it’s tough to make national guidelines to ease restrictions that will fit every different city and town.

“One of the challenging pieces has been how we make guidance that is general enough so that it can be applied to New York City and rural Montana and Indian country, which is our responsibility, and yet have it be specific enough so that people can get their questions answered,” Walensky said in a webinar in hosted by the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project.

Looking to the future, Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s vaccine chief, said “Obviously the hope is — and I think it’s probably the 90% scenario — is that we’re going to now move into a period where … the virus becomes endemic. And we will be living alongside it probably in a period where we will start to get yearly boosters for it.”

But Dr. Sara Oliver, an epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC, noted that, although there’s a drop in cases, the same hasn’t happened yet in hospitals.

“It’s difficult to envision a time point where we can say COVID is over if we’re still in a time period where our hospitals and ICUs are feeling the strain,” Oliver said.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Feb 10, 1:51 pm
Nevada lifting indoor mask mandate, including for schools

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Thursday announced an immediate end to the state’s indoor mask mandate — including for schools — citing a rapid decline in cases and a drop in hospitalizations.

“Teachers & schools will no longer be required to wear masks but school districts will need to work with their local health authorities to have plans in place to deal with outbreaks,” the governor tweeted.

He added, “Employers and organizations, including school districts, may set their own policies, and I encourage them to work with their employees and communities to ensure that policies are in place.”

Masks in Nevada will only be required on public transit per federal law, or in special facilities like hospitals or long-term care facilities.

-ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman

Biden confers with European leaders as latest Ukraine talks fail

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden held a call with transatlantic leaders on Friday to chart next moves as talks over Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine showed no sign of defusing the crisis.

Biden spoke about “coordination on both diplomacy and deterrence” with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council, according to the White House.

The president has remained largely silent on Ukraine over the past few days, instead holding public events focused on the U.S. economy.

The transatlantic call came as NATO warned Europe was facing a “dangerous moment.”

“This is a dangerous moment for European security,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday in Brussels.

European leaders have engaged in intense diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine over the past several weeks to avoid war in eastern Europe. But the talks have so far failed to yield much apparent progress.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, before meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the next day.

Russia and Ukraine held talks Thursday in Berlin, moderated by Germany and France, but after nine hours of discussion failed to even agree on issuing a joint statement.

Western officials had hoped that the latest round of the so-called “Normandy Format Talks” would push forward the diplomacy by Macron and other officials who have been shuttling between capitals over the past couple weeks.

The sides remained at an impasse, though, over Russia’s insistence that the Ukrainian government speak directly with Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine.

Biden said Monday that Americans currently in Ukraine should leave, and on Thursday, he repeated that message with more urgency.

“American citizens should leave now,” Biden Thursday said in an interview with NBC News. “It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly.”

Senior U.S. officials say they do not believe Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has made a decision whether to invade Ukraine, even as he has amassed over 100,000 troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine.

The U.S. and other Western nations have warned of severe economic consequences to Russia if it does invade. Russia denies it plans to do so.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Russia and Belarus kicked off 10 days of joint exercises in Belarus, north of Ukraine.

“As we said before, we’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday in Melbourne, Australia. “To be clear, that includes during the Olympics.”

The Winter Olympics, which are ongoing in Beijing, are scheduled to end on Feb. 20.

Five Phoenix police officers shot, four others wounded by shrapnel

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHOENIX) — Five Phoenix police officers were shot and four others were hurt by shrapnel during an early morning barricade situation at a house, the department said.

All injuries are non-life-threatening, police said.

The incident began when officers were called to a home where a woman was reported shot, Phoenix police said.

When an officer approached to help, the suspect, an adult man, invited the officer inside, said Phoenix police spokesman Andy Williams.

As the officer approached the door, “the suspect ambushed him with a gun and shot him several times,” Williams said. “That officer was able to get back and get away to safety.”

“Other backup officers arrived on scene and they surrounded the home and began calling out the occupants,” Williams said.

Then another man — not the suspect — came out of the house holding a baby girl, police said. The man put the baby on the ground and walked to police where he was detained.

When officers went to bring the baby to safety, the suspect again opened fire from inside the house, shooting four more officers and indirectly injuring four other officers with shrapnel, police said.

The baby appears to be OK, police added.

The suspect then barricaded himself in the home, police said.

Once the scene was secured police said they found the suspect dead inside.

The woman who was the first reported to be shot was found in extremely critical condition inside the home, police said. She appears to be the suspect’s former girlfriend, police said.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted, “Please continue to pray for the five @PhoenixPolice officers injured this morning. Our men and women in blue work day and night—no matter the circumstances—to protect our state from danger.”

He added, “My office is working closely with the Phoenix Police Department to get updates on the situation and the officers’ conditions.”

Other police departments are also speaking out.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown tweeted that his department “stands with our brothers and sisters of the Phoenix Police.”

Top car design executive speaks out about diversity in the industry

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — You may not know Ralph Gilles by name but you may have owned (or admired) his cars: the Dodge Viper, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram truck, to name a few.

Gilles, the 52-year-old chief design officer of Stellantis, the automotive giant that owns the Chrysler, Peugeot and Fiat brands, has been sketching cars and trucks for more than 30 years. He started as a designer in 1992 and quickly climbed the ladder at Chrysler, becoming president and CEO of Dodge and the SRT Brand. He now oversees the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Maserati marques, shaping future product and directing a large team of designers.

He has another mission at company: to make it more inclusive. Gilles, who is Black, serves as the executive sponsor of the Stellantis African Ancestry Network Diaspora (STAAND) and is active on the Stellantis Global Diversity Council.

The company announced last month that it was launching two new programs to attract diverse talent and train Black and multicultural employees for future leadership opportunities. Stellantis was also recognized as a top diversity leader by DiversityInc magazine.

In 2019, Black employees accounted for 17.2% of workers in automotive manufacturing, higher than the overall labor market, according to government data. But the industry lacked gender and racial diversity at the leadership level, the report from the U.S. International Trade Commission said.

“I think our industry doesn’t seem to attract people of color as much as others because it’s a little more of a clandestine thing that we do,” he said.

Gilles, an award-winning designer and industry visionary who continues to push the limits, spoke to ABC News about his trajectory in automotive, his attempts to hire more women and people of color and whether the Dodge Viper will return as an electric sports car.

The interview below has been edited and condensed for clarity:

What obstacles did you face as a Black man?

A: I didn’t face any impassable obstacles. If anything, my color made me stand out, sometimes for the better actually. I was a leader very young at my age; at 30 years old I was a director so [race] didn’t hold me back. It was quite the opposite if anything. I was very keen and aware that everything I did was being watched but in a good way. In every action I took I felt I would be representing an entire culture, not just myself. So that was something I was aware of from a very early stage.

Tell me how you’re trying to increase diversity at the company.

A: We’ve been trying to create a wonderful environment for people of color. I’ve been part of our business resource group [Stellantis African American Network Diaspora] for over 10 years and what I find fascinating about the group is that it went from being an internal support group to more of a recruiting device. When the Black Lives Matters stuff really lit up, our CEO at the time, Mr. [Mike] Manley, wanted to understand more so he called on the team to sit with him and that started this desire to create a diversity group. Just having these conversations has opened the minds of all of our execs [to] think about recruitment differently. Once you set up a tolerant place to work it naturally attracts people to the company.

How would you describe the makeup of the design team?

A: We have quite a bit of diversity in certain areas. Our infotainment team is pretty diverse. The exterior design team not as much. We’re finding though that the schools are not generating the pool that we need. We’re trying to get kids in middle school excited about this type of career and educate them about the possibilities and the outstanding life you can have as a designer or an engineer. So getting the word out there that it’s an awesome job is working slowly but surely.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry since you started?

A: When I started in the industry we were known as the Big 3. Today I laugh, it’s more like the Big 7 or 8. Every company seems to offer a full suite of vehicle types. The competition is really intense. The modern automobile is so technologically laden it’s hard just to call it a car anymore. It’s really rolling technology. And we are feeling more and more like a tech company.

We have software and coding people who are now attracted to the auto industry. The electrification movement, the infotainment movement, the autonomous movement — it’s getting more interesting. You look at it as a mature industry but it’s actually quite the opposite. It’s evolving more than ever.

What will move the needle on electric vehicle sales in the U.S.?

A: I think it’s a combination of more delicious offerings, which is what I am trying to do. To me it should be a choice. Have people say that’s the better, more attractive car. The current suite of EVs out there tend to be a little bit bland and uninspiring — great performing vehicles but not necessarily heart-pumping in the cultural or aesthetical sense. So trying to find a way to make them desirable and affordable. The other thing is going to be the infrastructure. Governments are working quite hard on helping the infrastructure catch up because it is a very different system from what we have today. So trying to make the pain points of owning an electric car go away is something everyone has to collaborate on. It’s not just a Stellantis problem. It’s a societal thing.

How would you respond to criticisms that Stellantis has been slow to produce EVs?

A: I think we’re not interested in just making an EV. We want to make the best EVs. We’re taking our time and developing them properly. We may not have one on offer today but it’s going to be coming very, very soon. We’re going to have several coming at the right time. A lot of the first EVs have very modest ranges that aren’t really solving the problem for the real consumer. So affordability, range, function — that’s what we’re putting in our calculus right now. We’re launching them in Europe. We’re leaders, we’re No. 1 in Europe. As a company we’re actually not laggards. We’ve been quite aggressive. We’re trying to match the society’s take rate.

How is designing an EV different from a gas-powered vehicle?

A: Some of the things we’re running into is trying to give the vehicle a personality. Trying to give it an emotional quotient. EVs don’t make a sound. Part of an excitement of a vehicle, especially with our Dodge brand, is the aural part of it. It’s something we’re intrigued about.

On the Jeep side, it’s creating an EV that looks futuristic but still capable. Aerodynamics are absolutely paramount. The EV gives us a benefit — we have frunks now. We have good packaging solutions. The center of gravity is in a good place. It’s more giving the car personality while balancing the needs of physics.

The Dodge Viper sports car was discontinued in 2017. Could it return as an EV?

A: I can’t talk about future product. I love that people talk about this nameplate so much. So that’s inspiring to us.

What is your daily driver?

A: I have a mixture of vintage cars because I do like the analog. I like to time warp back to the analog times. I have a Grand Cherokee, with a plug-in coming, and I steal my daughter’s [Alfa Romeo] Stelvio because I love that car. I have a few Alfa Romeos, a Lancia Delta and a cute little Peugeot 205 that I restored myself.

Looking back, is there one vehicle you would have tweaked before production?

A: (He laughs). OMG I need a couch now. Are you asking about my failures? (laughs again). I would have fought harder to make the wheelbase of the Chrysler 200 another 2 inches longer. Let’s put it that way.

Five Phoenix police officers shot, three others wounded by shrapnel

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHOENIX) — Five Phoenix police officers were shot during an early morning barricade situation at a house, the department said.

Phoenix police said they were called to a home where a woman was reported shot.

When an officer approached to help, the suspect immediately opened fire, striking the officer multiple times, police said. That officer was able to get away to safety, police said.

Then a man came out of the house holding a baby, police said. The man put the baby on the ground and walked to police where he was detained.

When officers went to bring the baby to safety, the suspect again opened fire from inside the house, hitting four more officers, police said.

The suspect then barricaded himself in the home, police said. Once the scene was secured police said they found the suspect dead inside.

The woman who was the first reported to be shot was found critically hurt inside the home, police said.

Besides the five officers shot, at least three other officers were injured by bullet shrapnel, police said.

The conditions of the five officers shot were not immediately clear. Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams told reporters, “One of them is seriously hurt but is on the road to recovery.”

The baby appears to be OK, police added.

Six stabbed in ‘violent scene’ at Philadelphia home

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHILADELPHIA) — Six people were stabbed in a Philadelphia home early Friday in what police are calling a “very violent scene.”

Police received a 911 call just after 4 a.m. reporting a stabbing and responding officers found the victims, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters.

Three were hospitalized in critical condition and three were in stable condition, according to Philadelphia police.

Small said there were two bloody knives and one of the knives “is actually broken, which goes to show how violently these individuals were being stabbed.”

The “very violent scene” was “all on the second floor in the three bedrooms of this private residence,” Small said. “There’s blood on the floor, there’s blood on the walls, on the doors. The door to the master bedroom is completely knocked off its hinges.”

Police found the suspect “covered with blood” on a street and “he immediately surrendered,” Small said.

Police said the victims in critical condition were a 30-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the back; a 32-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the arms and chest; and a 49-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the neck, head and back.

In stable condition were a 26-year-old man stabbed in the chest and back; a 57-year-old man stabbed in the forehead; and a 55-year-old woman stabbed in arm, police said.

So far there is no motive, Small said.

The suspect was positively identified by some of the family members, including some of the victims, and was taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts to his hands, Small said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders warns of ‘drumbeats’ of war in Washington

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a speech on the Senate floor Thursday expressing grave concern over the “drumbeats” of war building in Washington, D.C., amid escalating tensions along the Ukrainian border.

Sanders, I-Vt., the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, which had kept relatively quiet on the issue to this point, pleaded with government officials to not follow a similar path of past military conflicts.

“I’m extremely concerned when I hear the familiar drumbeats in Washington, the bellicose rhetoric that gets amplified before every war, demanding that we must ‘show strength,’ ‘get tough’ and not engage in ‘appeasement’,” said Sanders, who has, in the past, led the charge to defund the war in Iraq and to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The senator focused on the “unintended consequences” that have resulted from previous American military involvements and the way wars have been portrayed in the lead up to those conflicts.

“They [wars] rarely turn out the way the planners and experts tell us they will. Just ask the officials who provided rosy scenarios for the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, only to be proven horribly wrong,” Sanders said.

Sanders reaffirmed his support for the pursuit of a diplomatic solution with Russia, the latest attempts of which have been led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately this week.

While condemning Putin over his responsibility for the current crisis, Sanders also called on officials to “consider the perspectives of our adversaries.” Putin has demanded the U.S. and Europeans commit to keeping Ukraine out of NATO, something the West has rejected outright.

“One of the precipitating factors of this crisis, at least from Russia’s perspective, is the prospect of an enhanced security relationship between Ukraine and the United States and Western Europe,” Sanders said.

In addition to his war critique, Sanders objected to potential sanctions against Russia and the possible impact on civilians. That includes a package the Senate has been discussing that could cause economic devastation in Russia and reverberate across Europe.

The legislation appears to be on hold following disagreement on a variety of issues, including the strength of the sanctions, leading some to suggest President Joe Biden should proceed on his own.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicated it would be better for Biden to take action as opposed to waiting for the passage of a sanctions package he believes wouldn’t deter Putin. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., struck a similar tone.

“We’re just a hair’s breadth away from an agreement on strong, message-sending sanctions legislation, but I really believe the Biden administration should act now — in fact yesterday,” said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Concerns about a Russian invasion into Ukraine continue to build as the Russian military began a series of exercises in Belarus on Thursday that are expected to continue until Feb. 20.

“[We] must work hard to achieve a realistic and mutually agreeable resolution…that is not weakness,” Sanders said. “That is not appeasement. Bringing people together to resolve conflicts nonviolently is strength, and it is the right thing to do.”

Biden to use $7 billion in Afghan funds for humanitarian relief, 9/11 compensation

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Biden to use billion in Afghan funds for humanitarian relief, 9/11 compensation

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday setting in motion a plan to make $7 billion in Afghan funds held in the United States available to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, and to provide humanitarian relief and other support to the Afghan people dealing with crushing hunger, according to senior Biden administration officials.

The funds were deposited by Afghanistan’s central bank in the United States before the Taliban took over last year and have since been made unavailable to the Taliban. Much of the money comes from U.S. and other international donations over the past 20 years, according to the official.

The U.S. has struggled to determine how to provide aid to the Afghan people without money going to the Taliban.

Biden’s order would freeze the funds and set aside more than $3.5 billion for American victims of terrorism who are pursuing litigation against the Taliban, according to the officials. The money would be available to them pending the outcomes of their litigation, the officials said.

The administration would also ask a court to allow for the rest of the funds to be placed into a trust fund to be used “for the benefit of the Afghan people and for Afghanistan’s future,” a senior administration official said.

A senior administration official said the U.S. government would “take a couple of months” to figure out exactly how the fund would work and how the money would be used. Another official told ABC News the money would go toward humanitarian relief and “other needs.”

“We have not made specific decisions about how the funds will be used,” the senior official said.

That plan would have to clear several procedural and legal steps, including gaining legal approval, receiving a license from the Treasury Department and going through a due diligence process by the Federal Reserve, an official said.

How Costco, grocery membership fee hikes impact consumer buying decisions

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Raising membership fees can generally be chalked up as “the price of doing business.” But as inflation, demand and supply chain issues continue to dictate an increase in prices, consumers are left to consider the value of using services like grocery deliveries and big-box retailers.

Retail analyst and financial expert Hitha Herzog shared her insights with “GMA” on increases in membership fees as well as how individual lifestyle is a key driving factor for cost-benefit analysis.

“It always leads back to the consumer, because the consumer will have to eat the cost somehow,” Herzog explained. “It’s in the form of membership prices.”

Amazon recently announced a price hike for its membership to Prime services, which includes discounts for Whole Foods and grocery deliveries, due to “the continued expansion of Prime member benefits as well as the rise in wages and transportation costs.”

“We’re going to start seeing more and more of these memberships to retailers, especially larger online retailers — go up in price as well — if you’re going to increase the number of goods sold on the site and what you offer to your customers, you’re going to have to cover those overhead costs.”

Guggenheim analyst John Heinbockel predicted in a new research note earlier this week that popular big box retailer Costco is close to increasing its annual membership fees.

“We believe we are now 8 to 9 months away from a likely membership fee increase, a historical catalyst for the shares. As is well known, Costco has increased its annual membership fee every five and a half years by $5 to 10. On this timetable, the next hike would come in August-September 2022.”

Herzog explained that bulk stores like Costco increase their membership price cyclicly “about every five and a half years.”

Costco has bifurcated membership options, Gold Star and Executive, the first costs $60 a year and the latter $120 a year, currently.

“I think the crux of this is that this is something typical of these bulk stores. The fact that they’re only doing it every five and a half years — as opposed to other stores or services that are increasing the price of products because of inflation,” Herzog said. “So I think this price increase is already baked into their business model we already knew that this was coming.”

According to Heinbockel’s analysis, he predicts the Gold Star fee would go to $65 while the Executive membership would move to $130. The warehouse retailer’s increased fee could potentially help keep overall product cost down for members amid labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflation.

Costco did not immediately respond to “Good Morning America’s” request for comment.

How should consumers weigh the value of pricier memberships?

“I think it really you have to examine your life, a little bit,” Herzog said. “What I mean by that is you have to assess, what is going to cost you less? So if you are seeing an increase in product [prices], which we’re definitely seeing across the board with everything from staple items in your refrigerator to the price of gasoline — Is it worth it to you to spend more on gasoline to drive to a store to try to get a cheaper product? Or is it worth it for you to spend a little more on a membership to potentially get free delivery, so you can spend a little more on the product?”

She continued, “Overall, consumers are going to have to pay for the price increase due to inflation and due to supply chain issues still existing.”

“As much as we hear government officials saying, ‘it won’t impact the consumer … manufacturers are going to eat the cost,’ it’s never the case,” she said. “At some point, the consumer is going to have to pay.”

Inglewood’s Black-owned businesses to be highlighted during Super Bowl weekend

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(INGLEWOOD, Calif.) — Seeing a need to promote Black-owned businesses, longtime Inglewood, California, resident Keokia Childress helped start a community-organized food festival to showcase what their neighborhood had to offer.

But what began with only a handful of food trucks in 2017, the Taste of Inglewood will have a super-sized spotlight and more than 100 Black-owned food and retail vendors this year as tens of thousands of NFL fans descend on the neighborhood for Super Bowl weekend.

Childress said she created the event after noticing a movement of Black-owned food trucks popping up throughout the neighborhood.

“I said to myself, ‘I wish there was something we could do to help promote these businesses because they do not get the recognition they deserve.'” Childress told ABC News.

After networking with some of her friends and community members, she gathered a few food trucks and curated an event to bring more publicity to their businesses.

“We were able to find a niche in creating an environment where urban food vendors, as well as retail vendors, could get the same publicity that a bigger business would,” Childress said.

After the first event’s success, Taste of Inglewood continued to grow, only to have COVID-19 halt its plans in 2020.

Childress, who lost her husband Jan. 2021 of over 20 years due to COVID-19, said as she and her daughters continued to grieve, she decided now was the time for her to get back into the community, get the dust off her shoulders and bring Taste of Inglewood back in time for Super Bowl weekend.

The three-day festival, which takes place less than five minutes from SoFi Stadium, where the Los Angeles Rams will be taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, will also include Latin, R&B, and hip-hop artists as part of a concert series.

Some of the businesses participating in the festival include All Flavor No Grease, A Hint of Moss, Sweet Red Peach, and Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen.

Vendors like Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen said they are filled with pride to see their neighborhood in the spotlight.

“When we sit back and think of the Super Bowl coming to Inglewood, the only words that come to mind are wealth and long overdue,” Angie Dillard-Miller, owner of Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen, told ABC News. “Inglewood has shaped us into hardworking and dedicated members of this community and for others to see what’s been here all along is truly astounding.”

“The taste of Inglewood is such a great opportunity not only for our family-owned business, but for the many other Black-owned businesses that are being showcased out here as well,” Dillard-Miller said.

The festival will also be incorporating a special moment where Issa Rae, the creator of the hit series “Insecure,” will be receiving the key to Inglewood for her hard work and positive recognition that she brings to the city.

The festival kicks off Thursday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. local time and will end Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 p.m.

+ More