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COVID-19 live updates: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 622,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 59.3% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Aug 17, 8:28 pm
2 Florida school districts found in violation of state’s ban on mask mandates

Two school districts in Florida were found to have violated state law by mandating masking-wearing in schools during an emergency hearing held by the Florida State Board of Education Tuesday.

Alachua County Public Schools and Broward County Public Schools were non-compliant with Florida Department of Health Emergency Rule 64DER21-12 and are now subject to punishment and the potential withholding of state funding.

More than 600 students in Alachua County have been quarantined since the start of the school year just six days ago, Dr. Carlee Simon, superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, said during the meeting.

Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools Vickie Cartwright said school administrators were concerned about the number of cases that are happening in Broward County as the delta variant spreads, especially since there were only five pediatric ICU beds available in Broward County as of Tuesday morning.

“We argue that we are exercising our constitutional responsibilities to protect our students and staff,” Simon said. “We believe this is, in quote, reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest.”

All Board of Education members present at the emergency meeting voted that both school districts were in violation of the law, which “protects parents’ right to make decisions regarding masking of their children in relation to COVID-19.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued in an that the board has the right to withhold state funding to schools that they find are “unwilling or unable to comply with the law.”

No punishment was specified for the schools during the emergency meeting.

-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio

Aug 17, 8:13 pm
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott not experiencing symptoms after positive COVID-19 test, he tweeted Tuesday.

As you may have heard, I have Covid.

Right now I have no symptoms such as fever or aches and pains.

Thanks for the well wishes from around the country.

I will remain engaged every day to govern the great state of Texas.

God bless you all, and God bless Texas. pic.twitter.com/kbYPt1FpNj

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 17, 2021

Aug 17, 6:52 pm
Hundreds of patients waiting for hospital beds in Texas

Patients in one region of Texas are experiencing extraordinarily long waits for hospital beds as COVID-19 continues to spread through the state.

Patients in southeast Texas, which includes Houston and the surrounding areas, are waiting in ambulances, hallways and more holding spaces for hospital beds to free up, Houston officials announced at a press briefing Tuesday.

Of the 678 patients holding in area emergency rooms with general admission orders, 265 of them have been infected with the virus, according the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council.

The ratio of patients who tested positive with COVID-19 is even worse for ICU admissions. Of the 112 patients in holding area emergency rooms who need an ICU bed, 75 have the virus, according to SETRAC.

-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri

Aug 17, 4:57 pm
Texas governor tests positive

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced.

The governor is fully vaccinated and has no symptoms, his office said, adding that he’s been tested daily.

Abbott is receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment, his office said.

“Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with today has been notified,” his office said.

Abbott has banned mask and vaccination mandates in Texas.

According to The Houston Chronicle, the governor gave a speech Monday night to a crowd of about 600 people where there was little social distancing or mask-wearing.

Aug 17, 4:29 pm
Hospitalizations could reach 32,800 per day by Sept. 1: Forecast

The U.S. could see as many as 32,800 hospitalizations per day by Sept. 13, according to the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst, which is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The low end of the forecast is 9,000 per day.

Currently, more than 11,249 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 each day in the U.S., up from a daily average of 8,300 last week.

These forecasts suggest Florida, Louisiana and Texas hospitalizations may improve in coming weeks while other states, like California and New York, may see more hospitalizations.

-ABC News’ Brian Hartman

Aug 17, 4:08 pm
Mask mandate for US travel extended into January

The mask mandate for travelers on planes, trains and buses will be extended into January, according to a Department of Homeland Security source.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

Aug 17, 9:03 am
Biden administration ships 1st of 500 million vaccine doses to Rwanda

The Biden administration on Tuesday will ship the first 188,370 doses of a 500 million dose commitment of the Pfizer vaccine to Rwanda, according to a senior administration official. The 500 million dose pledge was announced at the G7 summit in June and the contract the U.S. negotiated with Pfizer identified late August as the goal for initial shipments.

The U.S. is also sending 300,000 additional U.S. surplus doses to Rwanda Tuesday, making this first total shipment 488,370. All the doses will be distributed through Covax, the World Health Organization’s vaccine-sharing initiative.

Aug 17, 4:56 am
US reports over 200,000 new cases in a day for 3rd time this month

There were 209,988 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Monday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

It’s the third time this month that the U.S. has reported more than 200,000 newly confirmed infections in a single day.

Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins data shows an additional 683 fatalities from the disease were registered nationwide on Monday, down from this month’s peak of 1,889 new deaths on Aug. 13.

A total of 36,888,978 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 622,321 have died, according to Johns Hopkins data. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.

Aug 17, 4:38 am
Bangladesh extends COVID-19 vaccines to Rohingya refugees

Bangladesh has launched a COVID-19 vaccination program for Rohingya refugees housed in one of the world’s largest and most densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar, according to a press release from the World Health Organization.

The campaign, led by the Bangladeshi government with technical support from the WHO and other partners, is initially targeting nearly 48,000 Rohingya refugees who are 55 and older. It’s part of Bangladesh’s national deployment and vaccination plan to ensure equity and fair allocation of vaccines across the country.

“Bangladesh is demonstrating what WHO has been advocating for — equitable access to vaccines,” Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, said in a statement Monday. “Inclusion is key to protecting vulnerable populations like the refugees, for safeguarding their health and that of their host communities and societies.”

More than 1 million Rohingya — a stateless ethnic group who predominantly practice Islam — are sheltering in crowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Aug 16, 11:38 pm
Biden admin expected to recommend boosters for all Americans

The Biden administration could soon be urging Americans to get a booster shot eight months after completing their original vaccination, a source familiar with the discussions told ABC News Monday.

Federal health officials and experts are currently coalescing around the idea that all Americans should receive a booster, the source said. Those booster shots could be rolled out as soon as mid to late September — pending Food and Drug Administration authorization.

The announcement, first reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post, could come as soon as this week.

The new timeline for the booster shots in a significant shift for the administration, which previously had been non-comital on when boosters for the majority of Americans would be needed.

Aug 16, 10:20 pm
El Paso sues state of Texas over ban on mask mandates

The city of El Paso has filed a lawsuit challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in the state to allow for local protective measures to be ordered in the county.

Starting Wednesday at 12:01 a.m., a local health authority order will mandate that all individuals over the age of 2 wear some form of face covering while in public indoor spaces.

The parents of children under the age of 10 will be responsible for appropriately masking their children while outside their home, city officials said.

The order comes after El Paso City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza recommended masks at all indoor facilities in the county.

A face covering is not required on those who are eating or drinking or anyone who has trouble breathing, has a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering.

For businesses, NYC indoor vaccine mandate means safety – and headaches

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — New York City’s indoor vaccine mandate went into effect Tuesday, making it the first major U.S. city to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to eat or drink inside bars and restaurants.

The new requirement, which applies to everyone 12 and older, doesn’t just apply to dining but includes nearly every public indoor activity, from gyms to bowling alleys to movie theaters to concert venues and more, according to the city.

Acceptable forms of vaccination proof include the NYC COVID Safe app, the state’s Excelsior Pass, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination card (or photo of the card), an NYC Vaccination Record or for those who got vaccinated outside of the New York, an official immunization record.

Beginning Sept. 13, the city will start enforcing the rule and fining businesses that don’t comply.

“Any establishment that is subject to the mayoral executive order that’s found to be noncompliant would be subject to a fine of $1,000 on the first offense,” Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s commissioner of health, said during a Monday press conference.

“Those fines can escalate with repeated offenses beyond that,” he added.

Patrons who attempt to get around the requirement will face penalties. “In terms of the concern about fake vaccination cards, the most important point is that a fake vaccination card constitutes fraud and will be prosecuted as fraud by that individual,” Chokshi said.

The indoor mandate comes as the highly transmissible delta variant is surging across the country, with 94% of U.S. counties now reporting high or substantial community transmission in the last seven days, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Keeping hospitality workers and customers safe from COVID-19 is an essential step toward protecting public health and preventing harsher restrictions that many restaurants and bars would not survive,” Andrew Rigie, executive director of NYC Hospitality Alliance, a nonprofit alliance that represents the restaurant and nightlife industries, said in a statement.

Still, that doesn’t mean implementing such measures is easy for businesses. Already understaffed restaurants and bars now have an additional stressor on top of running their business.

“We support the city’s efforts to get more New Yorkers vaccinated and we are already helping restaurants across the five boroughs comply with the new requirements,” Rigie added, noting that the new policy posed “operational and economic challenges for understaffed restaurants, bars and nightclubs struggling to recover.”

Vaccination rates in New York City’s general population are slightly above the national average. As of Tuesday, 63% of New York City residents had received at least one dose and 57% were fully vaccinated, compared with 51% of all Americans who’ve gotten at least one shot and 60% who are fully vaccinated, according to data from the city health department and the CDC.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

Education secretary says he’s spoken with schools defying mask mandate bans

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he’s in touch with superintendents who are actively defying Florida and Texas governors’ orders not to mandate masks in schools and will have their back should they lose state funding.

“I have had conversations with superintendents and they have asked if this goes in that direction, how do we get support? My message is, open the schools safely. We got your back,” Cardona told ABC News in an exclusive interview Tuesday after touring P.S. 5 Port Morris, a public school in the Bronx.

Last week, Cardona sent a letter to superintendents in Florida reassuring them that if Gov. Ron DeSantis followed through on a threat to withhold salaries from schools that imposed mask mandates, federal funding could make up the difference. The Republican governor has banned mask mandates in the state of Florida — which has the highest case rate in the nation — an order that goes against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest guidance for all students and school faculty to wear masks in the classroom this fall because of the heightened spread of the delta variant.

Cardona also expressed hope that schools will stay in session this year.

“I’m hopeful, I’m optimistic — and if the adults do their job, our kids will be fine,” Cardona said.

“We’re always going to be monitoring changes in delta and we’re willing to move if we need to move, but right now we can safely return our students to school if we follow the mitigation strategies, get vaccinated when you can,” he added.

But states have diverged over what that “job” is along political lines, with many Republican-led states choosing to leave the decision on masks up to students and parents rather than follow CDC guidelines.

Eight states have banned schools from requiring masks for students — Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. But Texas and Arkansas have some of the highest case rates in the nation behind Florida.

Like Florida, some Texas school districts have gone against the ban on mask mandates.

But outbreaks have already been reported in districts that have returned to school, particularly in schools that aren’t requiring masks. Hillsborough County Public Schools, which includes the city of Tampa, Florida, announced Monday that 5,599 students and 316 school employees are currently either in isolation or quarantine after COVID exposure at school. The school board intends to discuss implementing mandatory mask mandates at the next board meeting, officials said.

The return to school nationwide is also coinciding with a surge in cases among young people, who make up a large portion of the unvaccinated in the United States. More than 121,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported among kids last week, another “substantial” increase from weeks prior, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association said in a report Monday.

Pediatric coronavirus-related hospital admissions now equal the most seen at any point of the pandemic.

Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, the two organizations wrote in the report, but they warned that there is an urgent need to collect more data on long-term impacts, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”

The rise in cases has fueled concerns that students will not be able to stay in school without frequent COVID scares sending them back to remote learning.

“Delta is different, so we must pay attention to transmission rates, to what we’re learning about the delta variant, and we as educators have to be nimble to make sure we’re addressing what we’re learning from our health experts,” Cardona said. “Again, it’s really important that we work in tandem with our health experts to make sure we have a safe school reopening.”

But Cardona stressed that students should not fall back into remote-learning options because the benefits of the classroom still outweigh the risks.

“Students learn best in the classroom. We know that. And we have to give them an opportunity to get into the classroom to build relationships,” Cardona said.

Asked if the CDC should tailor guidelines for schools with lower vaccination rates, Cardona said he’s confident those rates will rise once children return to the classroom because of the effort to reach kids in one place — education and pop-up clinics targeting kids at school.

“I’m really confident that when school gets started, and our communities come back, they’re gonna look to the schools to be a place where they can get vaccinated,” he said.

5 things to know about Biden’s plan to roll out COVID boosters this fall

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration is expected to announce, as soon as this week, a plan to roll out booster shots for all Americans who got Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccines more than eight months ago.

Any plan would be contingent upon getting a green light from federal agencies who say they are still reviewing the data.

Here are five things to know about boosters:

Booster shots could begin as early as mid-September

The first vaccine shots in the U.S. were given out last December — exactly eight months ago — to health care workers and nursing home residents.

It’s expected these same high-risk, high-priority groups would be first in line for booster shots come September, assuming federal regulators agree to sign off.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already given the green light for a third shot for people who are severely immunocompromised. But this group — patients getting treated for cancer or having experienced an organ transplant, for example — was considered less likely to have developed an immune response in the first place.

Booster shots for the broader public would only be called for if the FDA agrees with vaccine makers and independent studies that immunity is indeed waning.

8 months isn’t a precise measure of when immunity wanes

A person’s immune system is a complicated puzzle, with antibodies in a person’s blood stream as only one piece.

Scientists said they are looking at other clues too, including closely watching COVID-related hospitalizations involving vaccinated people.

Pfizer and BioNTech, which partnered to develop the nation’s first vaccine, said it has early data suggesting that a booster dose anywhere from six to 12 months after the initial vaccination will help maintain a high level of protection. Their data have not been shared publicly yet.

In particular, the company said a person getting a booster between eight and nine months after their primary shot showed higher neutralizing antibody levels against the delta variant, compared to people who received the original two doses.

But Pfizer and BioNTech also said in a joint statement that they are waiting for more data before officially submitting a request to allow for booster shots.

New hospitalization data might hold more clues on vaccine immunity

The number of vaccinated people winding up in the hospital with COVID-related complications is an important clue to how well the vaccines are working.

If a vaccinated person becomes infected with the virus but does not become seriously ill or transmit the virus to others, then the vaccine is still working well. But if health officials start reporting a rising number of hospitalizations involving vaccinated patients, that could signal that immunity among vaccinated populations is beginning to wane.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said boosters aren’t needed, estimating that 97% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

But that estimate was based on hospital-reported data from spring, before the delta variant began spreading wildly. The CDC said it’s not ready to release updated numbers yet, but is working on getting a clearer picture of delta’s impact on the vaccines.

The FDA and CDC still have to sign off

Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted early data to the FDA, but are still tracking people who got the vaccine. When those results are finalized, the companies are expected to ask the FDA to green light the third shots.

If the FDA signs off, an independent advisory panel to the CDC will likely convene to discuss what exactly should be recommended to Americans. That would then pave the way for an official recommendation by the CDC, along with advice to doctors and patients on getting a booster.

The FDA and CDC have said previously that booster shots for broader populations aren’t needed yet. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to President Joe Biden, has called the possibility inevitable because of the likelihood that protection would diminish over time.

Less is known about people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

So far, the plan to roll out boosters is focused on Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which rely on similar technology.

Less is known about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which rolled out later than Pfizer and Moderna and has been given to considerably fewer people.

Government officials say more data are expected in coming weeks on precisely how much protection J&J allows — information that will be critical in determining whether J&J recipients might need a boost.

ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett, Molly Nagle, Sarah Kolinovsky, Sony Salzman and Eric Strauss contributed to this report.

Pete Buttigieg announces he and husband Chasten Buttigieg are becoming parents

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who made history as the first openly gay Cabinet member in U.S. history to be confirmed by the Senate, announced on Tuesday that he and husband Chasten Buttigieg are becoming fathers.

The former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, mayor revealed on Twitter that the couple, married in 2018, is growing their family.

“For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family,” the secretary wrote. “We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon.”

Pete Buttigieg, 39, spoke about wanting to have children on the campaign trail back in April 2019.

While answering questions about his views on paid family leave at a rally, he revealed that he has a “personal stake in” the issue.

“We’re hoping to have a little one soon, so I have a personal stake in this one, too,” he said. “We should have paid parental leave and find a way to have paid leave for anyone who needs caring.”

Chasten Buttigieg, 32, opened up more recently about their path toward parenthood in a July interview with The Washington Post, detailing their experience getting on adoption waiting lists for babies that have been abandoned or surrendered on short notice.

The couple have had several close calls, leaving them scrambling to purchase baby essentials, before the adoptions fell through, he told the newspaper.

“It’s a really weird cycle of anger and frustration and hope,” he said in the interview. “You think it’s finally happening and you get so excited, and then it’s gone.”

Consumer Product Safety Commission issues recall of magnetic balls and cubes

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a new warning about the dangers of high-powered magnetic balls and cubes.

The agency announced a mandatory recall on Tuesday of 10 million products from Zen Magnets LLC — Zen and Neoballs — due to an ingestion hazard and risk of death.

Most recalls are done voluntarily, with companies and the CPSC working together to get dangerous products out of consumers’ hands, but the agency said that since “Zen did not agree to a voluntary recall, CPSC sued the company to effect a mandatory recall.”

“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can interact with each other or other metallic objects (material attracted to magnets) and become lodged in the digestive systems. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death,” the CPSC warned in a press release. “These injuries can occur when infants, toddlers, and teens access and ingest the magnets, including, for example, when teens use the magnets to mimic mouth piercings and swallow them inadvertently.”

Founder Shihan Qu shared a statement in response to the recall Tuesday on the company’s website.

“Zen Magnets is honored to have been the leading voice of the majority of consumers who believe that adults should be able purchase recreational high powered magnets, in the CPSC’s continual and uncompromising War on Magnets,” he wrote. “We’ve been offering a voluntary recall since 2016 allowing customers to return magnets for a refund for any reason, including if they didn’t feel safe with them, didn’t think they could keep them from being swallowed, or was unable to understand why they are dangerous, or didn’t like the name Zen Magnets.”

The founder added that his was “the first company to petition the CPSC for safer standards for recreational magnet sets after their 2016 ban was overturned by a Judge, for not having properly considered alternatives. After much work with other companies, doctors, and human factors experts, the spirit of our petition for safer magnet standards lives in a new standard ASTM F3458 — 21 which requires recreational magnets to have warnings stronger than cigarettes and fireworks combined, and packaging that’s safer that laundry detergent pods and on par with pharmaceuticals.”

In order to help protect kids from the potential hidden hazard, CPSC issued violation notices to companies that market dangerous, high-powered magnetic balls and cubes as toys for children, insisting that those companies notify purchasers and warn of the dangers of use by children. CPSC also works with major online platforms to remove these products from their sites.

“When consumers see these products marketed for children on trusted e-commerce sites, many of these items sold by foreign firms, consumers assume they are safe,” acting Chairman Robert Adler said in a statement. “But the reality is, these magnets can cause lifelong injury, or worse, to kids. That’s why it’s so important that e-commerce sites not allow these products to be sold to kids and why kids are safest when these products are not in the home.”

The CPSC also worked with e-commerce sites to issue safety alert notices directly to purchasers in the cases when magnet firms were not responsive.

Adler added that “until we can get these products off the market entirely, we just have to be vigilant.”

The nearly 10 million magnets, manufactured in China, were sold individually for 6 to 10 cents as well as in magnet sets for anywhere between $12 and $264 per set. The magnets were sold online and at certain Colorado retailers starting in January 2009.

Zen Magnets and Neoballs are high-powered 5 mm spherical magnets. Zen Magnets were sold individually and in sets of 72, 216 with 6 spares, and 1,728 with 8 spares. Neoballs were sold individually and in sets in the following colors: silver, gold, red, orange, green, red, blue and purple. “Zen Magnets” or “Neoballs” is printed on the packaging.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled magnets and contact Zen Magnets LLC for a refund.

As of time of publication, the CPSC said Zen Magnets LLC was aware of two children who ingested Zen Magnets and required surgery to remove them along with parts of their intestines and bowels. It was also aware of other reports of children and teenagers ingesting high-powered magnets and requiring surgery. A 19-month-girl died after ingesting similar high-powered magnets.

Food stamp benefits get permanent boost thanks to Biden administration

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Millions of Americans who struggle to get food on the table will soon receive new assistance thanks to a historic increase in funding.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a reevaluation to its Thrifty Food Plan, marking the first major update in over 45 years to reflect current cost realities for low-income families.

The plan estimates the price of a budget-conscious diet for a family of four and calculates the average need for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. The recalculations to the program, formerly referred to as food stamps, will go into effect Oct. 1. Each qualified recipient, on average, will see a rise from $121 to $157 per month.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the modernized plan “an investment in our nation’s health, economy, and security” that will better provide healthy food to low-income families.

“Ensuring low-income families have access to a healthy diet helps prevent disease, supports children in the classroom, reduces health care costs,” he said. “The additional money families will spend on groceries helps grow the food economy, creating thousands of new jobs along the way.”

The historic increase approved by President Joe Biden’s administration will help food aid rise by more than 25% from pre-pandemic levels for all 42 million program beneficiaries.

According to the Agriculture Department, the retooled plan’s average monthly benefits, which were $121 per person per month before the pandemic, will rise by $36.24 under the new rules.

“The reevaluation concluded that the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost effective diet is 21% higher” than the current plan, according to the Agriculture Department.

This boost comes on the cusp of emergency SNAP benefits that are set to expire at the end of September. They were first put into place as a pandemic protection measure as part of the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion relief bill signed in March.

The USDA called SNAP “the most far-reaching, powerful tool available to ensure that all Americans, regardless of background, can afford healthy food.”

The program helps to feed 1 in 8 Americans each month with evidence showing that SNAP increases food security, including among households with children who have been disproportionately impacted by hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden retreats to Camp David leaving unanswered questions on Afghanistan

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — At 4:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, President Joe Biden concluded a speech defending his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, tapping his binder on a podium in the East Room of the White House for emphasis.

By 4:57 p.m., the presidential helicopter, Marine One, was in the air, headed for the presidential retreat, Camp David. For Biden, there was no looking back.

“I know my decision will be criticized, but I would rather take all that criticism than pass this decision on to another president of the United States — yet another one — a fifth one. Because it’s the right one. It’s the right decision for our people,” Biden declared, leaving no doubt about his stance.

But as Biden withdrew to Camp David, his administration officials were left in Washington to field the lingering questions the president did not address: What exactly will be the fate of endangered Afghans struggling to leave the country? And why was the administration so surprised by the speed of the Taliban’s takeover?

For the Afghan interpreters and contractors who have aided U.S. forces during the 20-year war and are now under threat of retaliation from Taliban militants, getting answers is urgent.

More than 1,600 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price confirmed Monday, but he declined to specify how many of those people are Special Visa applicants.

“As long as we deem that our public servants serving at [Hamid Karzai International Airport] are safe and secure, we will be engaged in an ambitious, aggressive, and around-the-clock effort to relocate as many as we possibly can,” Price said.

Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday morning that the Department of Defense is working to ramp up flight departures to one per hour. He hoped to achieve that cadence within the next 24 hours. But for those Afghans who are unable to travel safely through Taliban checkpoints to the airport, solutions are sparse.

“I know that there are concerns about why we did not begin evacuating Afghans — civilians sooner. Part of the answer is some of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier — still hopeful for their country. And part of it was because the Afghan government and its supporters discouraged us from organizing a mass exodus to avoid triggering, as they said, ‘a crisis of confidence,'” Biden said in his remarks Monday, attempting to defend the administration’s slow evacuation pace.

Monday evening, President Biden approved $500 million in State Department funding to aid Afghan refugees who are successfully evacuated.

“We plan on being on the ground there in Afghanistan for the next couple of weeks. It’s not just about moving out Americans, it is very much about meeting our moral and sacred obligations to those Afghans who helped us over the last 20 years getting as many out as we can,” Kirby said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

For endangered Afghans, the challenge of leaving the country has been exacerbated by the sudden Taliban blitz.

“The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated,” Biden said Monday, admitting that his intelligence briefings did not accurately predict the pace of events. Biden did not directly address whether he considers it an intelligence failure.

While some senior military officials cautioned Biden against withdrawal, presenting him with a litany of possible consequences, Biden chose to move forward. DOD Spokesperson John Kirby defended the president’s choice on “Good Morning America” on Monday.

“The commander in chief is the commander in chief. It’s not about overruling his military leaders or other advisers. He is given options. He is given the pros and cons for each option, and then it’s up to him to decide. He was advised by the Defense Department, we had a voice. We had a seat at the table. We provided our advice and counsel. The president made his decision and now we’re in execution mode,” Kirby said.

Even members of Biden’s own party are raising questions about the intelligence on Afghanistan. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.,chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, proposed investigating what led to the government’s underestimation of the Taliban advance.

“I hope to work with the other committees of jurisdiction to ask tough but necessary questions about why we weren’t better prepared for a worst-case scenario involving such a swift and total collapse of the Afghan government and security forces,” Warner said in a statement Monday.

For those looking to carry out those investigations, the answers might be disheartening. The government’s nonpartisan watchdog on operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, on Monday released a report compiled just before the Taliban takeover, analyzing 20 years of U.S. efforts there. The report delivers a blunt verdict.

“Twenty years later, much has improved, and much has not in Afghanistan. If the goal was to rebuild and leave behind a country that can sustain itself and pose little threat to U.S. national security interests, the overall picture in Afghanistan is bleak,” it concludes.

DOJ charges Chicago pharmacist for selling authentic COVID vaccination cards on Ebay

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(CHICAGO) — The Justice Department has arrested a Chicago pharmacist who allegedly sold 125 real CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards on EBay.

According to charging documents, 34-year-old Tangtang Zhao is said to have sold the cards to 11 different buyers for $10 each.

He is the second person to face federal charges for selling vaccination cards. Federal authorities are working to put a stop to this trend as more companies require proof of vaccination.

Zhao is charged with 12 counts of theft of government property. A conviction means he could face a max sentence of 10 years per count.

What is still unclear is the position the DOJ may take against Americans who are trying to purchase vaccination cards as a way of falsely claiming vaccination status.

Judge bars release of bodycam video in fatal shooting of Chicago police officer

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(CHICAGO) — A judge has temporarily barred Chicago authorities from releasing body camera video, described by a prosecutor in chilling detail, of Chicago police Officer Ella French being gunned down during a traffic stop.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago said in a statement that it received the order Monday from a Cook County Circuit Court judge forbidding the “the city of Chicago and its entities” from publicly releasing any material connected to shooting under the city’s Video Release Policy and the Freedom of Information Act.

The video allegedly shows suspect Emonte “Monty” Morgan opening fire on French and her partner, who was critically injured, during an Aug. 7 traffic stop, according to prosecutors.

In the one-page ruling, the judge did not elaborate on a reason for the decision, only writing that body camera video and other evidence can’t be released “during the pendency of the criminal matter.”

“COPA remains committed to transparency and is conducting a full analysis and investigation of the incident,” the police watchdog group said in a statement. “Body-worn cameras, third party video and other materials related to this incident will be released upon the lifting of the Judge’s court order.”

The development comes as French’s colleagues and loved ones prepare for her funeral, scheduled for Thursday at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine in Chicago. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, announced on Monday that he will deliver the homily.

French, 29, is the first Chicago police officer since 2018 killed in the line of duty and the city’s first female officer killed in the line of duty since 1988, officials said.

Morgan, 21, was arrested after being shot during a gunfight with one of French’s fellow officers, who escaped injury in the encounter, according to a criminal complaint. Morgan has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and aggravated use of a weapon by a felon.

Morgan’s brother, Eric Morgan, 19, who prosecutors said was driving the car French and the officers stopped, was arrested and charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of obstruction of justice, according to court records.

A still image of the body camera footage that captured the incident was obtained by ABC Chicago station WLS, along with another chilling image of French in her final moments — standing at the driver’s side door, shining a flashlight into the vehicle that had been pulled over for having expired tags.

During a news conference last week, Risa Lanier, the chief deputy state’s attorney for Cook County, said Emonte Morgan is seen in body camera video stepping over the wounded officers after allegedly shooting them.

French’s 39-year-old partner, whose name has not been released, remains in critical condition with a bullet lodged in his brain, police said.

The shooting came as Chicago police have been dealing with escalating gun violence in the city. Chicago Police Department crime statistics show that as of Sunday 2,176 people have been shot in 2021, a 12% increase over the same time period in 2020.

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