(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Texas’ near-total ban on abortions to stay in effect more than three months after a majority of justices allowed the law, SB8, to be implemented, denying women across the nation’s second most populous state a constitutionally-protected right.
But the court said abortion providers could continue with their challenge to the law.
The mixed decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, was at least a temporary victory for abortion providers and civil rights groups that had been challenging the law.
The court said, “the ultimate merits question — whether S.B. 8 is consistent with the Federal Constitution — is not before the Court. Nor is the wisdom of S.B. 8 as a matter of public policy.”
It dismissed a Biden administration request to stay enforcement of the Texas law.
During fast-tracked oral arguments heard earlier, many justices were openly skeptical about the Texas law’s unprecedented enforcement mechanism and what it could mean for other state attempts to limit constitutional rights.
SB8 bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and delegates enforcement to everyday citizens — rather than state officials — who can file civil lawsuits against anyone who “aids or abets” an unlawful procedure. Its state sponsors deliberately intended to circumvent federal court review, knowing that such a ban on its face violates constitutionally-protected abortion rights.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 793,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 60.4% 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:
Dec 10, 10:04 am
Masks or proof of vaccination required in all indoor public places in New York
Masks will now be required in all indoor public places in New York state unless the business or venue requires proof of full vaccination, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday.
The new measure takes effect Monday and lasts until at least Jan. 15 as the state tries to disrupt a winter surge.
New York’s seven-day average case rate has jumped by 43% since Thanksgiving, according to the governor’s office.
“We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet,” Hochul said in a statement. “I want to thank the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary.”
Dec 09, 7:33 pm
At least 25 states have confirmed omicron cases
At least 25 states have now reported cases of the omicron variant, just over a week after California identified the first case in the U.S.
Iowa, Michigan and Virginia became the latest states Thursday to confirm positive cases of the new variant of concern.
Other states with confirmed cases include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky told the Associated Press Wednesday that most of the cases have been mild, though there has been at least one hospitalization.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 09, 4:22 pm
US daily case average up by nearly 83% since October
COVID-19-related hospital admissions in the U.S. are up by 47% in the last month, according to federal data. Nearly 80% of adult ICU beds are full.
The U.S. is now reporting more than 117,000 new cases each day. The daily case average has surged by nearly 83% since late October, according to federal data.
New Hampshire holds the nation’s highest case rate, followed by Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Indiana, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 09, 2:54 pm
Over 2 million 5- to 11-year-olds fully vaccinated
Over 2 million children ages 5 to 11 are now fully vaccinated, White House COVID-19 data director Cyrus Shahpar said.
These kids are among the over 200 million Americans of all ages who are now fully vaccinated, according to the White House.
Shahpar’s tweet added, “Early evidence indicates boosters increase protection against Omicron. Get boosted!”
However, roughly two-thirds of parents of elementary school-aged children are either holding off on getting their younger kids vaccinated or refuse to do so, according to a poll released Thursday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
Parents of teens are more willing to get their kids vaccinated, but only about half of that age group have gotten the shot so far, KFF found.
The new findings come despite increasing evidence that the vaccine is safe and that kids and teens are now helping to drive up case numbers.
(NEW YORK) — A major storm is moving from the Rockies to the East Coast over the next two days, set to bring heavy snow to the Upper Midwest and severe thunderstorms to the east.
A winter storm warning has been issued in the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes where snow is set to blow through South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
This will be the first major winter storm for the Minneapolis-St. Paul region this season. The Twin Cities area could see more than 1 foot of snow.
From Texas to Indiana, the threat will be strong tornadoes and damaging winds on Friday night.
Tornadoes are especially dangerous at night because residents may sleep through alerts.
Memphis to Indianapolis could see the worst of the severe weather.
Record-high temperatures are possible along the East Coast on Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures are forecast to climb to 62 degrees in Boston, 66 in New York, 71 in Washington, D.C., and 74 in Charleston and Raleigh.
Saturday night, strong thunderstorms may hit the Carolinas and the Northeast. There is a small chance of tornadoes in the Mid-Atlantic.
(NEW YORK) — Consumer prices are continuing to climb, causing new pain for Americans’ pocketbooks, as inflation tightens its grip on the economy and hobbles the post-pandemic recovery.
The consumer price index, which measures the prices consumers pay for a market basket of everyday goods and services, jumped 0.8% last month after rising 0.9% in October, the Department of Labor reported Friday. Over the last 12 months, the index climbed some 6.8% before seasonal adjustment. This marks the largest 12-month increase in nearly 40 years.
While inflation is already wreaking havoc on holiday shopping, it’s especially painful for households with limited means to absorb higher prices for essentials. Policymakers including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in recent weeks have also began walking back on assurances that it was likely a temporary, post-pandemic blip.
The so-called core index, a measure of all prices less the more volatile food and energy indices, rose 0.5% in November, building on a 0.6% increase in October. The core index climbed 4.9% over the last 12 months, the DOL said.
“Inflation is outpacing increases in household income and weighing heavily on consumer confidence, which is at a decade low,” Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at Bankrate, said in a commentary to ABC News shortly after the data was released Friday. “It is only a matter of time before it impacts consumer spending in a material way.”
The energy index rose 33.3% over the last year after climbing 3.5% in November alone.
The food index jumped 6.1% over the last year and soared 0.7% in November.
The changes in the food and energy index mark the largest 12-month increase in at least 13 years, the DOL said.
Some of the largest contributors to soaring prices were increases in prices for gasoline, shelter, food, used and new vehicles and trucks.
Economists have attributed the rapidly climbing prices to supply-demand imbalances lingering from the pandemic shock to the economy, as labor shortages and supply chains issues result in supply not being able to keep up with the post-pandemic consumer demand for goods and services.
The painful price rises are also coming as many Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends for the first time since a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out.
(NEW YORK) — Consumer prices are continuing to climb, causing new pain for Americans’ pocketbooks, as inflation tightens its grip on the economy and hobbles the post-pandemic recovery.
The consumer price index, which measures the prices consumers pay for a market basket of everyday goods and services, jumped 0.8% last month after rising 0.9% in October, the Department of Labor reported Friday. Over the last 12 months, the index climbed some 6.8% before seasonal adjustment. This marks the largest 12-month increase in nearly 40 years.
While inflation is already wreaking havoc on holiday shopping, it’s especially painful for households with limited means to absorb higher prices for essentials. Policymakers including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in recent weeks have also began walking back on assurances that it was likely a temporary, post-pandemic blip.
The so-called core index, a measure of all prices less the more volatile food and energy indices, rose 0.5% in November, building on a 0.6% increase in October. The core index climbed 4.9% over the last 12 months, the DOL said.
“Inflation is outpacing increases in household income and weighing heavily on consumer confidence, which is at a decade low,” Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at Bankrate, said in a commentary to ABC News shortly after the data was released Friday. “It is only a matter of time before it impacts consumer spending in a material way.”
The energy index rose 33.3% over the last year after climbing 3.5% in November alone.
The food index jumped 6.1% over the last year and soared 0.7% in November.
The changes in the food and energy index mark the largest 12-month increase in at least 13 years, the DOL said.
Some of the largest contributors to soaring prices were increases in prices for gasoline, shelter, food, used and new vehicles and trucks.
President Joe Biden reacted to the report in a statement Friday, acknowledging that “prices are rising,” but noted that the data was collected earlier in the month of November, adding that “developments in the weeks after these data were collected last month show that price and cost increase are slowing, although not as quickly as we’d like.”
“Half of the price increases in this report are in cars and energy costs from November,” the president said. “Since then, we have seen significant energy price reductions.” He also noted that in recent weeks used car prices have trended downward in the wholesale market “which should translate into lower prices for Americans in the months ahead.” “Even with this progress, price increases continue to squeeze family budgets,” Biden added. “We are making progress on pandemic-related challenges to our supply chain which make it more expensive to get goods on shelves, and I expect more progress on that in the weeks ahead.”
The president said that the challenge of rising prices underscores the importance of Congress passing his Build Back Better plan, which he said will help families by reducing how much they pay for health care, prescription drugs and child care.
Economists have attributed the rapidly climbing prices to supply-demand imbalances lingering from the pandemic shock to the economy, as labor shortages and supply chains issues result in supply not being able to keep up with the post-pandemic consumer demand for goods and services.
The painful price rises also are coming as many Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends for the first time since a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out.
(ATLANTA) — With nearly 5 million children ages 5 to 11 now vaccinated against COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says real-world monitoring finds vaccines are safe for young children.
Crucially, the CDC hasn’t identified any concerns with the temporary heart inflammation known as myocarditis, a potential side effect of mRNA vaccines seen in rare circumstances in teenagers and young adults.
“We haven’t seen anything yet,” Walensky told ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton in a rare in-person interview from CDC headquarters in Atlanta. “We have an incredibly robust vaccine safety system, and so if [problems] were there, we would find it.”
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for children 5 to 11 years old in early November. Despite robust safety data, fewer than 1 in 5 children in this age group has receive their first dose.
Meanwhile, about two-thirds of parents of elementary school children said they didn’t want to vaccinate their children or are holding off for now, according to a poll from the nonprofit KFF.
Walensky said that while new data is constantly emerging, one thing is clear: Vaccines are safe for young children.
“If you want your children fully vaccinated by the holidays, now is the time,” Walensky said.
In rare access, Ashton was invited inside the CDC’s Emergency Operation Center, where the agency monitors data for potential threats to human health.
Another worrying trend the CDC is monitoring is the alarmingly low vaccination rate among pregnant women, despite overwhelming evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for mother and infant.
Less than 20% of pregnant people have received a vaccine during pregnancy, according to the CDC.
“I’m very concerned,” said Walensky. “When I hear about a pregnant woman in the community who is not vaccinated, I personally pick up the phone and talk to them.”
There is no evidence COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility, nor is there any scientific reason to believe they might harm fertility in the future.
Walensky said misinformation about the vaccine’s impact on fertility has been one of her most challenging battles during the pandemic.
“The vaccines are safe, they are effective and they are even more important in pregnant women,” she said.
(CHIAPAS, Mexico) — A vehicle full of migrants overturned in Chiapas, Mexico, Thursday night, leaving 54 dead and 105 injured, authorities said.
“After the accident that occurred in Chiapa de Corzo, I inform you that unfortunately 49 people died at the scene and 5 more died while receiving medical attention in hospitals,” Chiapas Gov. Rutilio Escandón tweeted. “We have 105 injured (83 men and 22 women), care for the injured continues.”
Civil Protection Chiapas said on Twitter that the tragedy was the result of a “car accident of two trucks traveling on the Belisario Domínguez Bridge and Ribera Cauharé in Chiapa de Corzo.”
“I deeply regret the tragedy caused by the overturning of a trailer in Chiapas carrying Central American migrants. It’s very painful. I embrace the families of the victims,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tweeted.
Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration also confirmed the incident on Twitter, saying it “regrets the death of migrants in the tragic accident that occurred in Chiapas.”
It said it is coordinating efforts with national, state and municipal authorities to provide consular assistance, identify bodies, cover funeral expenses and facilitate the repatriation of remains to countries of origin.
“Humanitarian attention that will be granted to the survivors will be accommodation, food and in case they accept, Visitor Cards for Humanitarian Reasons,” the institute wrote. “The INM will assist in the investigation of the accident.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Former Sen. Bob Dole — decorated World War II veteran, longtime lawmaker and former presidential candidate — will be honored at Washington National Cathedral on Friday before being flown back to his home state of Kansas and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dole died Sunday in his sleep at the age of 98.
President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy at the funeral service, which will air on ABC News and ABC News Live, as well as on video screens at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington for public viewing.
A handful of former presidents and other dignitaries are also likely to attend the invitation-only service.
Biden, who served with Dole in the Senate for 25 years and has praised the late Kansas lawmaker for wit that crossed party lines, gave formal remarks on Dole’s service to the nation on Thursday at a Capitol ceremony as Dole lay in state — an honor reserved for the most revered American officials.
“My fellow Americans, America has lost one of our greatest patriots,” Biden said, looking to Dole’s wife of 46 years, Elizabeth, who also served in the Senate, and his daughter, Robin, who is expected to speak Friday. “We may follow his wisdom, I hope, and his timeless truth — that the truth of the matter is, as divided as we are, the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus. The only way.”
Remarks are also expected Friday from former Sen. Pat Roberts, a fellow Kansas Republican, and former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, whose time serving as the Democratic leader overlapped with Dole’s leadership role.
After the funeral, Dole’s motorcade is scheduled to pause at the World War II Memorial for a ceremony paying tribute to his military service. There, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and actor Tom Hanks are expected to speak about Dole’s life.
His casket will then be flown to Kansas where Dole will be honored at funeral services in his hometown of Russell and at the Capitol in Topeka, where he served in the state legislature for two years before beginning a 36-year career in Congress.
Dole, who nearly died in WWII and was later awarded two Purple Hearts, served as the Senate Republican leader for more than a decade and was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He sought the presidency three times, winning the Republican nomination in 1996 before losing to incumbent President Bill Clinton, who later awarded Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dole announced in February that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was starting treatment.
In a USA Today op-ed Dole finished on pen and paper less than two weeks before his death, he pushed lawmakers to find common ground in difficult times, writing, “Those who suggest that compromise is a sign of weakness misunderstand the fundamental strength of our democracy.”
(NEW YORK) — A now-defunct e-cigarette retailer has agreed to pay $50 million to resolve allegations it marketed and sold vaping products to minors by appealing to their social media preferences, taste for fruit flavors and penchant to listen to influencers.
The settlement agreement was announced Thursday by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, whose office accused Eonsmoke of “a coordinated advertising campaign intentionally targeted at consumers who were not of the minimum legal purchase age to purchase tobacco products” — which in Massachusetts is 21.
Eonsmoke directly sold e-cigarette products — including electronic nicotine devices, e-liquids, and nicotine pods — to underage consumers via its website, without conducting any age verification at the time of sale or delivery, the state said.
“Eonsmoke coordinated a campaign that intentionally targeted young people and sold dangerous and addictive vaping products directly to minors through their website,” Healey said in a news release announcing the settlement. “We were the first to take action against this company and its owners, and today we are holding them accountable and permanently stopping them from conducting these illegal practices in our state.”
Eonsmoke shut down in April 2020 amid increased regulatory scrutiny. Its co-owners, Gregory Grishayev and Michael Tolmach, have agreed to pay a combined $750,000 as part of the settlement. If either man wants to sell tobacco products in Massachusetts in the future, they must get authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and give notice to the state attorney general’s office.
Eonsmoke’s products contained some of the highest nicotine concentrations on the commercial market and came in a variety of sweet and fruit flavors.
Healey alleged it directly marketed vaping products to young people through social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, and included youth popular culture references, social media influencers, celebrity endorsers, cartoons and internet memes that intentionally minimized or omitted the fact that the vaping products contained nicotine.
Between 2015 and 2018, the company did not conduct any age verification of consumers purchasing vaping products from its website, according to the investigation. Until September 2018, when the attorney general’s office sent a cease-and-desist letter ordering Eonsmoke to stop selling its products in Massachusetts, underage youth across the state were able to freely purchase unlimited quantities of vaping products — some of whom were 15.
(NEW YORK) — As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise in Rhode Island, hospitals are strained by staffing shortages and testing turnaround times are delayed, Gov. Dan McKee is urging residents to “take these next six weeks seriously.”
The state has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country, as the Northeast, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, have seen a surge in cases during colder weather.
Nearly 85% of all Rhode Islanders have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to state data. That includes over 96% of adults. While breakthrough cases have steadily increased in recent weeks, the vast majority of new cases are in unvaccinated people, state data shows. Under 7% of all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have been fully vaccinated, according to state data.
During a press briefing Thursday, Gov. McKee said the state is considering “all options,” including reinstating an indoor mask mandate, amid the increase in infections, while calling on residents to get vaccinated and receive booster shots.
It’s a message he repeated in a video addressed to Rhode Islanders Wednesday night.
“If we don’t take these next six weeks seriously, we risk all the progress that we’ve made together,” he said.
Officials expected an increase in cases as people gathered more indoors and after Thanksgiving, “but this is something that we need to watch,” he said.
“I want to be clear — all options remain on the table in terms of mitigation strategies, including reinstating an indoor mask,” the governor added.
We have the tools to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe this holiday season.
State leaders “strongly recommend” wearing a mask when in a crowded indoor public space.
Some hospitals and health leaders have voiced support of an indoor mask mandate, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have reached their highest levels since January and February, respectively.
Hospitals statewide have also continued to see staffing shortages due to pandemic burnout, among other factors. McKee said Thursday he is exploring the idea of using FEMA and deploying the National Guard to provide support.
Cases in kids surge
The highest number of cases are in children ages 5 to 18, an age group that is also seeing its highest level of case rates since the pandemic started, the latest state data shows.
“We are seeing increases in COVID-19 cases among children,” the Rhode Island Department of Health said on Facebook this week, while encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19. “Between Halloween and Thanksgiving, the case rate among children age 5 to 9 has doubled, and it has tripled among children age 10 to 14.”
Dr. Allison Brindle, a general pediatrician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital primary care clinic and the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said she has also seen an increase in cases in the clinic since Halloween.
“We are seeing an uptick in cases in kids because everything is back,” Brindle told ABC News. “We have tools in our toolkit, though, with our two main tools being vaccinations and masking with distancing in order to prevent illness.”
Masks are currently required in the state’s schools under an executive order.
Children tend to have milder cases of COVID-19. Though hospitalization and death are uncommon, more data on the pandemic’s long-term impacts on children’s mental and physical health is needed, according to the AAP. There is also added stress on families when there is a positive case, Brindle said.
“If your child is home from school, then parents are out of work,” she said. “There’s less access to the distance learning strategies than were in place before.”
Addressing testing issues
In addition to masking and vaccination, staying home when sick and getting tested when you have symptoms will be key to limiting transmission, especially during the holidays, Brindle said.
Rhode Island has a “robust state infrastructure” for testing, especially for students, she noted. Though recently testing results have been delayed. Results of PCR tests taken at state-run sites are taking about 72 hours to process, instead of the usual 48-hour window, with some residents reporting even longer wait times.
McKee pointed to increased volume and prioritizing testing in school and nursing home outbreaks as causing delays for the general public.
The state’s health department is exploring additional laboratory capacity and using private labs to help with turnaround times, McKee said Thursday.
“The bottom line is this: Testing turnaround times must get back to where they used to be, and I’ve directed our team to make this a priority,” the governor said.
