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Howard University reaches agreement with students after month of protests

November 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — After a 34-day protest garnered local and national attention, Howard University said it has reached an agreement with its students, who demanded better living conditions in on-campus dormitories.

On Oct. 12, Howard students began occupying the Blackburn center, a student hub and cafeteria located in the central yard of the campus, transforming the area into a “tent city.”

The protests continued until Monday, Dr. Wayne Frederick, president of Howard University, said, and would come to be known as #BlackburnTakeover across social media platforms.

Several students told ABC News that they faced a host of health concerns, including mold, infestations, and flooding in some college dorms. In October, Howard University officials listed 34 reports of concerns related to discoloration, or suspected fungal growth, across more than 5,050 beds — 0.67% of all on-campus beds.

The problems were allegedly so bad that many students preferred to sleep outside, in tents and sleeping bags, rather than in the university’s dorms. That is how the “tent city” protests began.

Students take action

“About one month ago, student protesters initiated their occupation of Blackburn. Today, they agreed to leave,” Frederick said in a statement Monday, adding that he also expected non-student protesters to depart the surrounding area and end their occupation of the campus.

The agreement came after days of negotiations and various threats of legal action from the students.

“I was shocked that they were willing to have a conversation, because it took them a long time to even say anything to us about the protest,” said Lamiya Murray, an 18-year-old freshman and the main organizer of the demonstration.

“The students have achieved the objectives and something meaningful. What they got by their personal sacrifice was sunlight put onto Howard in a way that a private academy normally wouldn’t receive,” Donald Temple, the students’ attorney, told ABC News. “Howard is private, and so is Howard’s policy and procedures, but the accountability from students, faculty and alumni are bigger.”

Temple, a Howard alumnus, said he’s represented Howard University student protestors for years, including during a 1989 protest in which they were advocating for similar demands.

“This double standard exists within these HBCUs, and students are attending these colleges which are underfunded when all these kids are saying they want competitive education and proper conditions,” Temple added.

Demonstrators such as Murray and Deja Redding, a Howard University graduate student and director of The Live Movement, a campus-based organization focused on advocating for racial equity in education, said they faced verbal threats from University administrators due to their involvement in the movement. They were even told they could face expulsion.

Murray, who spent nearly 33 nights in a tent outside the center, said she was worried about the wellbeing of the students and fearful of what the outcome of the protests would be.

“I ended up having to talk myself into doing a lot of stuff anywhere from sleeping outside to using the bathroom and Porta Potty,” Murray told ABC News. “Am I willing to sit here in the cold for these demands? I had to talk myself into it most nights, and I just realized that what I’m doing is bigger than just me, bigger than Howard, bigger than an HBCU; it’s revolutionary.”

In their protests, students demanded an in-person town hall with Howard’s president and other officials, the permanent reinstatement of student, alumni and faculty affiliate positions that are being removed from the school’s board of trustees, a meeting with university leaders about housing and legal, disciplinary and academic immunity for protesters. Student organizers also want to weigh in on Howard’s new housing plan.

“As we close in on the Thanksgiving holiday, I am encouraged and excited about the work we have accomplished — and the work we will continue to do — together to reinforce Howard University,” Frederick said in his statement Monday. “I look forward to sharing details soon on our ideas that will address concerns and build a culture where all are heard.”

He added that Howard plans to make improvements throughout the campus, and is committed to maintaining “safe and high-end housing.”

Even though they reached an agreement with the university on Monday, students said the school did not agree to all their requests, specifically the re-election of the student and alumni on the board of trustees.

Murray and Redding said they plan to take legal action.

Protest goes viral

Howard, known to some as “The Mecca,” is one of the most notable Historically Black Colleges. The students’ outcry sparked attention from high-profile Howard alumni including Yandy Smith, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Debbie Allen.

“The leadership saw these students as renegades who did not represent the larger student body, even though their issues affected thousands of kids,” Temple said. “They weren’t by themselves. The alumni and the nation were right behind their shadows.”

Because Howard provides priority housing for freshman and sophomores, the alumni network plays a prominent role in providing additional housing resources to Howard’s juniors, seniors and graduate students.

“Some of the behind-the-scenes things that people don’t know or see is that alumni activated a platform to house a lot of these students who are unable to live in their dorms or just weren’t able to get housing,” Redding said.

Now, Howard students hope their successful movement inspires others at HBCUs in need of improvements to speak up.

“These students should be able to hold their administration accountable. Plenty of other HBCUs have reached out with the intention to go ahead and start moving towards holding a demonstration on their campus, maybe not to the magnitude of Howard’s, but they’re looking to have a demonstration of some sort on their own needs that they have,” Redding said.

Howard’s student organizers told ABC News, they’re expected to hold a town hall with the University on March 1, 2022, as part of the agreement.

They are also calling for Frederick’s resignation.

ABC News’ Adia Robinson contributed to this report.

Five ‘violent’ inmates who escaped with Tasers have been captured, authorities say

November 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WARNER ROBINS, Ga.) — A search for five “violent” inmates who were at large days after escaping from a Georgia jail has ended, authorities said.

The Warner Robins Police Department announced via Twitter that its officers along with a fugitive task force from the United States Marshals Service had captured the fifth and final escapee on Tuesday night.

Tyree Montan Jackson, 27; Dennis Penix Jr., 28; Brandon Pooler, 24; Lewis Wendell Evans III, 22; and Tyree Williams Jr., 33, all fled the Pulaski County Jail in Hawkinsville, about 130 miles south of Atlanta, on the night of Nov. 12, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

All five inmates have “violent criminal histories,” including two who are charged with murder, the GBI said. They had two Tasers when they escaped and were seen traveling in a stolen white van, according to the GBI.

One of the escapees, Jackson, was captured Sunday. A second inmate, Evans, was taken into custody late Sunday night in Warner Robins, about 100 miles south of Atlanta, the GBI said.

As the search continued for the three other inmates, the U.S. Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to any arrests.

While the last remaining escapee was taken into custody Tuesday night in Warner Robins, it was unclear where and when the other two were captured.

Fauci says 3-shot vaccine should be ‘standard,’ warns of winter ‘double whammy’

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With winter closing in and coronavirus case rates creeping up once again, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that the vaccines’ waning immunity combined with the highly transmissible delta variant will make for a “double whammy” that will impact “even the vaccinated people.”

“The somewhat unnerving aspect of it is that if you keep the level of dynamics of the virus in the community at a high level — obviously the people who are most most vulnerable are the unvaccinated — but when you have a virus as transmissible as delta, in the context of waning immunity, that dynamic is going to negatively impact even the vaccinated people. So it’s a double whammy,” Fauci said in a pretaped interview aired at the 2021 STAT Summit Tuesday afternoon.

“You’re going to see breakthrough infections, even more so than we see now among the vaccinated,” he added.

His grim prediction meets a chorus of alarm bells already being sounded about COVID’s renewed spread as more people head inside as the holidays approach, heralding a season of family gatherings.

The national reported average for new cases each day has surged to more than 80,000, according to federal data — the highest in nearly a month. Forty states are currently showing high transmission, and total hospitalizations have increased for the first time in nearly 10 weeks.

Combatting any impending viral onslaught this winter hinges on how many more sleeves roll up for more shots, Fauci said. It won’t only be important to persuade the roughly 60 million “recalcitrant” people who have yet to get their first dose, but also “how well we implement a booster program,” he said.

Fauci added that booster doses of the COVID vaccine may become the standard for a “full” vaccination.

It comes as a growing roster of states and local jurisdictions have pushed ahead of federal regulators’ timeline, electing to endorse the expansion of booster shots to all adults at least six months after their second Pfizer or Moderna shot.

Though Pfizer formally asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand their booster’s authorization last week, right now federal agencies only recommend the mRNA booster for people over the age of 65, have an underlying medical condition or are at high risk for exposure, at least six months after their second dose.

All Johnson & Johnson recipients over the age of 18, however, are eligible for a boost at least two months after receiving their first dose.

“I happen to believe as an immunologist and infectious disease person, that a third shot boost for an mRNA is likely — should be part of the actual standard regimen, where a booster isn’t a luxury; a booster isn’t an add on; and a booster is part of what the original regimen should be — so that when we look back on this, we’re going to see that boosters are essential for an optimal vaccine regimen,” Fauci said.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

White House insists Biden, China’s Xi aren’t ‘old friends’ following Monday meeting

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — White House officials insisted Tuesday that President Joe Biden does not consider China’s President Xi Jinping a “friend” after Xi, speaking through an interpreter in a virtual meeting with Biden Monday night, referred to his American counterpart as “my old friend.”

“Thank you,” Biden responded at the time.

Asked what Xi was getting at — and if Xi was trying to undermine the U.S. — White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates didn’t answer directly, but reiterated that Biden doesn’t see Xi as an “old friend.”

“I’m not going to speak for President Xi,” Bates told a reporter on Air Force One as Biden headed to New Hampshire.

“But like you just mentioned,” Bates continued, “you’ve heard explicitly from the president himself, that he has a longstanding relationship with President Xi. They’ve spent a great deal of time together. They are able to have candid discussions, be direct with each other, which helps them be productive. But he does not consider President Xi an old friend.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said the same ahead of the leaders’ meeting when asked how Biden views the relationship.

“He still does not consider him an ‘old friend,’ so that remains consistent,” she said.

“President Xi is somebody he has spent time with, he’s had face-to-face conversations with. And because of that, the president feels that he’s able to have candid discussions with President Xi,” she added.

Biden on Tuesday in New Hampshire called it a “good meeting” with “a lot to follow up on.”

“We set up four groups, and we’re gonna get our folks together on a whole range of issues. I’ll have more to report for you in the next two weeks,” he told reporters.

Biden has often spoken of his long-term relationship with Xi and the time they spent together in person when they were both served as vice presidents.

But this June, Biden made clear he didn’t think of Xi as an “old friend,” saying in response to a question at a news conference in Geneva: “Let’s get something straight. We know each other well; we’re not old friends. It’s just pure business.”

Experts have tried to interpret Xi’s use of the phrase — whether it was genuine goodwill or meant to gain control of the narrative over Biden.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, told Reuters Xi’s use of the phrase is a show of genuine goodwill, while Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, told the news outlet “an ‘old friend’ doesn’t necessarily mean he is still a real friend.”

The two world leaders spoke for about three and a half hours via videoconference on Monday evening, amid continued tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade issues, climate change and human rights and in the wake of China recently upping its military pressure on Taiwan.

In a readout of the call, the Chinese government blamed the Tsai government for increased tensions between the U.S. and China for Taiwan’s attempt to “rely on the United States for independence” with Xi likening independence talk to “playing with fire” — in an apparent warning to both nations.

Xi said that Beijing is patient over reunification with Taiwan but independence is a red line they will take “decisive measures” on.

Biden, asked Tuesday in New Hampshire if the leaders made “progress on Taiwan,” said they had.

“Yes,” Biden answered. “We have made very clear, we support the Taiwan Act, and that’s it. It’s independent, makes its own decisions.”

The fact that he called Taiwan “independent” was certain to upset China and Biden spoke a second time to reporters traveling with him in New Hampshire to clarify his earlier comments.

“We’re not going to change our policy at all,” he said, referring to U.S. policy on Taiwan.

Asked about his remark about “independence,” he replied: “No, no, I said that they have to decide – they, Taiwan, not us,” adding, “And we are not encouraging independence. We’re encouraging that they do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires. That’s what we’re doing. Let them make up their mind. Period.”

Taiwan’s Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement after the Biden-Xi meeting, saying it “insists that China has no say in the fate of Taiwan.”

While the meeting did not establish any specific new guardrails over Taiwan, the White House said the meeting itself was intended to allow the two leaders discussing ways to manage competition between one another and characterized the conversations as “respectful and straightforward and open.”

“The sense of US-China relationship having up and downs is the old model of how to think about the relationship between the US and China. We sort of think of this as a steady state,” a readout from the White House said. “The President has been quite clear that he will engage in that stiff competition.”

Xi, on the call, compared China and the U.S. to two giant ships sailing in the sea that must stabilize to move forward together and prevent a collision, according to a readout of the meeting from the Chinese government.

Psaki said Friday that Biden may have the chance to talk more about the phone call on Thursday when he hosts leaders of Canada and Mexico for a North American summit at the White House.

Monday’s meeting marked the third time the two leaders will have spoken since Biden took office.

ABC News’ Karson Yiu contributed to this report.

House plans vote Wednesday to censure GOP Rep. Gosar, remove him from committees over violent video

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House plans to vote Wednesday on a resolution that both censures Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and removes him from his committee assignments, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to ABC News.

Gosar last week tweeted an edited Japanese anime cartoon showing him stabbing President Joe Biden and killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. He later deleted the tweet.

On Tuesday, sources confirmed to ABC News that Gosar apologized for the tweet behind closed doors during a GOP conference meeting. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said he had also spoken privately with Gosar about the tweet, but it appears he did not take further action against him.

Gosar said his video was an attempt by his staff to reach a younger audience and was not meant to condone violence. He has not publicly apologized.

“I have never in 40 years seen such a vile, hateful, outrageous, dangerous, and inciting to violence against a colleague, ever,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said to reporters during a press call Tuesday.

“The fact that they would not take some action themselves or make some comments themselves, which I have not seen, is a testament that perhaps they are rationalizing, as they rationalize other items of criminal behavior, this particular action,” Hoyer said of Republicans.

The resolution would boot Gosar from the Oversight and Reform Committee, which he serves on alongside Ocasio-Cortez. It would also remove him from the Committee on Natural Resources.

Late Monday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters it was up to McCarthy to rein in and reprimand his conference members — but Democrats, outraged over Gosar’s behavior, insisted on a floor vote.

On Tuesday, Pelosi deemed the resolution as an appropriate measure.

“Why go after [Gosar]? Because he made threats, suggestions about harming a member of Congress…We cannot have members joking about murdering each other as well as threatening the president of the United States,” Pelosi said.

A censure resolution requires a simple majority of lawmakers present and voting. If it is approved, Gosar could be forced to stand in the center of the House chamber as the resolution condemning his actions is read aloud.

On Tuesday evening, Gosar tweeted out a meme that says, “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.”

Twenty-three members of Congress have been censured for misconduct, according to a 2016 Congressional Research Service Report.

Former Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., was the last member of Congress to be censured — in December 2010 — accused of nearly a dozen ethics violations.

ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel and Libby Cathey contributed to this report.

COVID-19 live updates: FDA may issue guidance on boosters for adults as soon as this week

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 765,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Just 68.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-FDA may issue guidance on boosters for adults as soon as this week
-Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization
-21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases

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

Nov 16, 4:40 pm
DC to lift indoor mask mandate on Monday, masks still required in White House

Washington, D.C., will lift its indoor mask mandate on Monday.

“Instead of following a blanket mandate, residents, visitors, and workers will be advised to follow risk-based guidance from DC Health that accounts for current health metrics and a person’s vaccination status,” Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said in a statement

Private businesses can still require masks.

Masks will still be required in places including public transportation, schools, child care facilities and nursing homes.

The White House will still require masks indoors, a White House spokesman said, because D.C. has a “substantial” level of community transmission, according to the CDC.

“The White House follows CDC guidance which recommends masking in areas of high or substantial transmission,” the spokesman, Kevin Munoz, told ABC News.

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson, Ben Gittleson

Nov 16, 4:33 pm
American Academy of Pediatrics updates guidance for testing in kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its testing guidance for children, aligning its recommendations with the CDC’s for fully vaccinated individuals.

AAP now recommends that fully vaccinated people, who were in close contact with someone with COVID-19, should be tested five to seven days after the exposure. It is recommended that individuals who are not fully vaccinated be tested immediately after they learn of exposure. If they test negative, they should be tested again five to seven days after their last exposure, or immediately after symptoms develop.

The CDC already recommended that vaccinated people get tested five to seven days after exposure.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman

Nov 16, 4:20 pm
FDA may issue guidance on boosters for adults as soon as this week

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on Friday to discuss expanding booster eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine.

A government official confirmed to ABC News that the FDA may issue guidance on Pfizer and Moderna boosters for adults as soon as this week.

According to federal guidelines, boosters are currently available for: adults who received the Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago; Moderna/Pfizer recipients who are 65 and older and six months out from their second dose; and adult Moderna/Pfizer recipients who are six months out from the second dose and at higher risk because of a comorbidity, living or work environment.

But booster eligibility has already been expanded in some states this week, including New York and Arkansas.

ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss

Nov 16, 2:10 pm
Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization

Pfizer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 pill, the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

Both Merck and Pfizer are working on pills that appear very effective at keeping patients out of the hospital, according to the companies.

The Merck medication could be FDA authorized, recommended and available by the end of the year. The FDA’s advisory committee is slated to discuss the Merck application on Nov. 30.

Authorization for Pfizer is not expected until early next year.

ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Governor calls for peace as protesters gather ahead of Kyle Rittenhouse verdict

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis.) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers made a plea for peace as protesters gathered outside the Kenosha County Courthouse while awaiting a verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial.

After hearing two weeks of testimony and closing arguments, the Kenosha County Circuit Court jury started deliberating Tuesday in the closely watched trial.

Amid the wait for a verdict, Evers called for people to assemble “safely and peacefully” in Kenosha.

“Kenoshans are strong, resilient, and have worked hard to heal and rebuild together over the past year,” he tweeted Tuesday. “Any efforts to sow division and hinder that healing are unwelcome in Kenosha and Wisconsin. Regardless of the outcome in this case, I urge peace in Kenosha and across our state.”

Ahead of the verdict, Evers had previously authorized about 500 National Guard troops to be on standby to support public safety efforts if needed.

Local authorities said they “recognize the anxiety” surrounding the trial, but are not issuing a curfew or road closures at this time.

“Our departments have worked together and made coordinated efforts over the last year to improve response capabilities to large scale events. We have also strengthened our existing relationships with State and Federal resources,” the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and Kenosha Police Department said in a joint statement Tuesday. “At this time, we have no reason to facilitate road closures, enact curfews or ask our communities to modify their daily routines.”

Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

The charges stem from the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and a shooting that left 27-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz wounded during riots that erupted in Kenosha last year over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Those gathering outside the courthouse have included members of Blake’s family and Black Lives Matter activists, calling for justice for the three men shot, as well as Rittenhouse supporters — among them Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home last year.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.

Trump impeachment prosecutor Daniel Goldman announces run for New York attorney general

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Daniel Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first impeachment investigation of former President Donald Trump, announced Tuesday he will run for New York attorney general.

His announcement came in a two-minute video in which he cast himself as a public servant with a deep commitment to civil rights and equal justice.

Goldman told ABC News he decided to run because “democracy is under attack” and hoped to use the “broad authority” of the New York Attorney General’s Office to fight back.

“It started with Trump and now continues with Trumpism,” Goldman said. “There is a swath of the country that no longer believes in free and fair elections.”

Goldman joins what is expected to be a crowded and diverse field now that the current occupant, Letitia James, has announced a run for governor. Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout and state Sen. Shelley Mayer have announced their candidacies. State Sen. Mike Gianaris, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz are also said to be considering runs.

If elected, Goldman pledged to use the power of the office to uphold voting rights, reproductive rights and to fight the effects of climate change. While there is not always a legal avenue for the state attorney general in those pursuits, Goldman told ABC News “there is a pulpit and perch of a national relevance” and “vast authority within the attorney general’s office in upholding one standard of law.”

Recent occupants of the office, including the incumbent James and her predecessors Andrew Cuomo and Elliot Spitzer, used it as a springboard. Goldman spoke of no such ambitions.

“I’m doing this because I want to be the people’s lawyer,” he said. His decision to run became firm after Cuomo resigned as governor and James was rumored to be exploring a run for the office.

Goldman said he would work to make voters understand his “lifelong calling” as a champion of civil rights and criminal justice reform

Goldman, 45, is married with five children and lives in Manhattan. He was a history major at Yale and earned a law degree at Stanford before two judicial clerkships and a 10-year stint at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted organized crime and securities fraud. Then there was the 2019 role that made him a familiar face on television: lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment.

“Impeachment is the highest profile and most well-known moment of my career in public service but it demonstrates I’m unafraid, aggressive and will fight for what I believe is right,” Goldman said.

Amazon to pay $500,000 to California regulators after allegations of failing to properly notify workers of COVID-19 case numbers

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Amazon to pay 0,000 to California regulators after allegations of failing to properly notify workers of COVID-19 case numbers

(NEW YORK) — Amazon will pay a $500,000 settlement related to California’s “right-to-know” labor law after state regulators alleged the retail giant failed to adequately notify warehouse workers and local health agencies of COVID-19 case numbers.

“As our nation continues to battle the pandemic, it is absolutely critical that businesses do their part to protect workers now — and especially during this holiday season,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “That’s why California law requires employers to notify workers of potential workplace exposures and to report outbreaks to local health agencies.”

Bonta said the judgement, which remains subject to court approval, will help ensure Amazon meets the state’s requirement for workers.

“Bottom line: Californians have a right to know about potential exposures to the coronavirus to protect themselves, their families, and their communities,” Bonta added. “This judgment sends a clear message that businesses must comply with this important law. It helps protect us all.”

California’s so-called “right-to-know” law, AB 685, requires that employers notify workers of COVID-19 cases at their worksites, provide employees with information on coronavirus-related benefits and protections, share their disinfection and safety plans and report COVID-19 cases to local health agencies.

The settlement requires Amazon to update COVID-19 notification policies and take further specific actions to help workers, according to Bonta’s office. It also requires Amazon to notify its tens of thousands of warehouse workers in California of new COVID-19 cases in their workplace and pay $500,000 toward enforcement of California’s consumer protection laws.

Barbara Agrait, an Amazon spokesperson, told ABC News the settlement is solely related to a technicality specific to California state law involving employee coronavirus-related notifications. She said no problems were identified with Amazon’s protocols for notifying employees who might have been in close contact with an affected individual.

“We’re glad to have this resolved and to see that the AG found no substantive issues with the safety measures in our buildings,” Agrait said in a statement. “We’ve worked hard from the beginning of the pandemic to keep our employees safe and deliver for our customers — incurring more than $15 billion in costs to date — and we’ll keep doing that in months and years ahead.”

She added that Amazon remains focused on being transparent with local health authorities. Moreover, Agrait said Amazon supports worker vaccinations and the company has hosted more than 1,800 free on-site vaccination events at Amazon facilities across the U.S.

Last October, Amazon released an analysis of data on all 1,372,000 Amazon and Whole Foods Market frontline employees across the U.S. employed from March 1 to Sept. 19, 2020. The company said that 19,816 employees had tested positive or been presumed positive for COVID-19 during that time.

COVID-19 live updates: 21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases

November 16, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 764,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Just 68.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization
-21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases
-US sees increase in pediatric cases for 2nd week in a row

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

Nov 16, 2:10 pm
Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization

Pfizer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 pill, the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

Both Merck and Pfizer are working on pills that appear very effective at keeping patients out of the hospital, according to the companies.

The Merck medication could be FDA authorized, recommended and available by the end of the year. The FDA’s advisory committee is slated to discuss the Merck application on Nov. 30.

Authorization for Pfizer is not expected until early next year.

ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Nov 16, 1:59 pm
21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases

The U.S. daily case average has surged to more than 80,000 — a 27% jump in three weeks, according to federal data.

Over the last two weeks, 21 states have seen at least a 10% uptick in daily cases: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Last week marked the first national increase in total hospitalizations in nearly 10 weeks, according to federal data. There are now more than 48,000 patients with COVID-19 currently receiving care, up by about 3,000 patients from a week ago.

Twelve states (and Washington, D.C.) have seen an increase of 10% or more in hospital admissions over the last week: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 16, 12:01 pm
DC to lift indoor mask mandate on Monday

Washington, D.C., will lift its indoor mask mandate on Monday.

Private businesses can still require masks.

Masks will still be required in places including public transportation, schools, childcare facilities and nursing homes.

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Nov 16, 11:36 am
Times Square reopening to vaccinated revelers for New Year’s Eve

Times Square is reopening this New Year’s Eve after being closed last year due to the pandemic.

Revelers must bring proof of full vaccination and a photo ID.

“This has been a heroic city fighting through COVID. We are turning the corner. We’ve got a lot to celebrate. It’s going to be a big moment in Times Square on New Years Eve,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said, ABC New York station WABC-TV reported.

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