(WASHINGTON) — The first federal prison to experience a COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020 is now severely short-staffed, the Louisiana congressional delegation and members of the Bureau of Prison union say.
FCI Oakdale in Louisiana experienced a severe COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020, so bad the Justice Department inspector general was critical of the BOP for how it failed to separate inmates at the facility during the first weeks of the pandemic.
The Louisiana congressional delegation, led by Republican Sen. John Kennedy, wrote to the Bureau of Prisons to make sure it takes care of the staffing issues at the facility.
“FCC Oakdale faces unsustainably low staffing levels that is nearing crisis,” the congressional delegation writes. “These vacancies force FCC Oakdale to rely on mandatory overtime in order to meet the basic safety needs of the mission.”
They say they are concerned about the staffing levels and want to know what the Bureau is doing to address it.
“Staffing conditions at FCC Oakdale have understandably forced many veteran staff members to actively seek opportunities for promotion or transfer to other federal prison facilities and agencies or even retire.”
The Bureau of Prisons told ABC News it received and is reviewing the congressional letter. “We have no additional information to provide at this time,” the BOP said.
Federal prisons that are short-staffed are not a new problem, which is something the national BOP union has pointed out.
The local union president at FCC Oakdale tells ABC News FCC Oakdale was the first to experience a major outbreak of COVID-19 and staff worked overtime to provide coverage for the prison.
“During that time, as your aware, the staff worked an extreme amount of overtime to provide security coverage to the inmates at outside hospitals while receiving treatment for COVID,” Ronald Morris, AFGE Local 1007 President told ABC News. “This was a very hard mission staffing wise due to having inmates in the outside hospital, attempting to cover the post at the institution through augmentation and dealing with staff out due to COVID. Fast forward two years and it seems that the staff have not been able to recover. We are still short-staffed,” he said.
(WASHINGTON) — A committee of advisers at the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of authorizing the Moderna vaccine for kids ages 6 through 17, paving the way to add one more vaccine to the options available for this age group.
Currently, only Pfizer’s vaccine is available for kids over 5 years old. Moderna’s vaccine, which was stalled in the regulatory process for months, would give parents another option.
The process to get Moderna’s vaccine out to pharmacies and clinics now moves to FDA leadership, which must decide whether to issue an official emergency use authorization of the vaccine.
After that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s team of advisers will review Moderna’s data, and finally, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will issue her recommendation.
It’s not clear whether adding Moderna as another option in the vaccine arsenal will move the needle for uptake in the kids and adolescent age group.
More than 25.4 million eligible kids between the ages of 5 and 17 are still unvaccinated, and only about 44% have been fully vaccinated.
At the meeting before FDA’s advisory committee on Tuesday, though, Moderna representatives argued there was a significant need for a second vaccine because of the continued threat of COVID-19 among kids.
“Recent data have shown that approximately 25% or one in every four children and adolescents hospitalized due to COVID-19 require ICU intervention,” said Carla Vinals, Moderna’s vice president of regulatory affairs strategy for infectious diseases.
Emory associate professor Dr. Evan Anderson, who works with Moderna, presented an analysis showing that COVID-19 is worse than the flu — killing more children ages 5 to 17 than any other vaccine-preventable disease.
Moderna scientists said their vaccine would prevent pediatric hospitalizations if authorized. They estimate the two-dose Moderna vaccine would prevent 95 hospitalizations per 1 million kids ages 5 to 11 and 200 hospitalizations per 1 million kids ages 12 to 17.
The FDA also cleared the air on the issue that delayed Moderna’s authorization for this age group — the potential for the rare incidence of heart inflammation called myocarditis.
Data for international surveillance had suggested a higher risk for myocarditis following vaccination with Moderna compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. But after looking into it, those concerns subsided.
The FDA did not find a “statistically significant” difference in risk when comparing the two vaccines, officials said Tuesday.
The risk of myocarditis is also primarily seen among males 18 to 25. Moderna’s vaccine is only for kids and adolescents ages 6 to 17.
If authorized, Moderna’s vaccine dosing would be 100 micrograms for 12- to 17-year-olds, or the same as the adult dose, and 50 micrograms for 6- to 11-year-olds, which is half the adult dose.
(WASHINGTON) — The House on Tuesday approved a Senate bill to provide more security for the families of Supreme Court justices, sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk after Democrats and Republicans could not agree over whether to extend the increased protections to the families of court clerks.
The bill — first approved unanimously by the Senate a month ago — was passed by the House nearly a week since an armed man was arrested near Brett Kavanaugh’s home and charged with attempted murder of the Supreme Court justice after allegedly telling authorities he was suicidal and wanted to kill Kavanaugh, police have said.
“By passing this bill as is, we are sending a clear message to the left-wing radicals you cannot intimidate the Supreme Court justices. I hope we all take that message to heart,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on the House floor on Tuesday.
Supreme Court justices are already provided with security; however, the Supreme Court Police Parity Act would expand security to the justices’ families. The legislation had been stalled in the House over proposed amendments by House Democrats to extend protections to the families of Supreme Court employees. as well.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Monday night that no changes to the Senate-passed bill would be tolerated.
“The right bill passed the Senate. We’re not going to pass this House bill if it comes over,” McConnell said.
Sen John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the House was “playing with fire,” adding, “All we’ve tried to do is give the justices the very same protection that’s available to members of Congress.”
The stalemate came as Republicans accused Democrats of delaying taking up the legislation amid new threats to the high court — which has seen renewed protests by advocates ahead of major opinions on polarizing issues including gun rights and abortion access.
Democrats, in turn, said the GOP was ignoring the wider problem.
“Let me tell you why it took us a few weeks rather than just one week to pass this legislation: It’s because Republicans refuse to protect the families of Supreme Court employees who are at risk,” California Rep. Ted Lieu said.
“We understand that there was Republican opposition to that aspect of the bill, and in the interest of protecting the justices’ families, we can no longer delay in passing the only version of the bill they would apparently agree to.” Lieu added.
The legislation gained momentum in the House after 26-year-old Nicholas Roske was charged with attempted murder last week when he showed up armed to the Maryland home of Justice Kavanaugh, according to authorities.
Roske was angry over the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and the leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent submitted in support of a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.
Roske was allegedly spotted by two U.S. Marshals wearing black clothes and carrying a backpack getting out of a cab in front of Kavanaugh’s house at approximately 1:05 a.m. Wednesday, according to the affidavit.
A Glock 17 pistol, two magazines, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crowbar, pistol light and duct tape were in Roske’s backpack, according to the affidavit.
The suspect then allegedly called the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center to say he wanted to kill a Supreme Court justice, according to the affidavit. (He agreed to remain in custody until a preliminary hearing currently scheduled for June 22.)
The Department of Homeland Security has already warned that there could be an increase in threats against Supreme Court justices over the leaked draft of the Roe v. Wade decision, which has not yet been formally issued.
A bulletin obtained by ABC News in May said the draft leak “prompted a significant increase in violent threats — many made online via social media and some of which are under investigation — directed toward some U.S. Supreme Court Justices and the Supreme Court building.”
The National Capital Threat Intelligence Consortium identified at least 25 violent threats on social media that were referred to partner agencies for further investigation, the bulletin said.
“Some of these threats discussed burning down or storming the U.S. Supreme Court and murdering Justices and their clerks, members of Congress, and lawful demonstrators,” the bulletin said.
U.S. Marshals bolstered their protective details for the justices and began guarding their homes around the clock in the wake of the leaked draft, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday.
Michelle Yeoh‘s madcap multiverse movie Everything Everywhere All at Once took viewers on a trip in its first week on streaming.
That’s according to Fandango’s streaming service Vudu, which showed the movie — which has the global superstar and Crazy Rich Asians lead playing multiple versions of herself and which also stars Jamie Lee Curtis — debuted in the top slot for June 6-12.
Coming out in second place is Nicolas Cage‘s comedic action movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Incidentally, both movies have both leads playing alternate versions of themselves, and another thing they have in common are “Certified Fresh” scores on the ratings aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Everything Everywhere‘s score stands at a stellar 95%, one of the highest of the year.
In third place on Vudu’s chart for the week was Downtown Abbey: A New Era, with the animated film The Bad Guys and The Lost City with Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt rounding out the Top 5.
Ozzy Osbourne is “doing well” and “on the road to recovery” after undergoing surgery Monday.
That’s according to the metal legend’s wife, Sharon, who shared an update on her husband’s condition in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.
“Our family would like to express so much gratitude for the overwhelming amount of love and support leading up to Ozzy’s surgery!” Sharon wrote. “Your love means the world to him.”
Last week, Sharon revealed during an episode of her U.K. talk showThe Talkthat Ozzy was set to have a “very major operation.” She added that procedure was going to “really gonna determine the rest of [Ozzy’s] life.”
Sharon didn’t speak on the exact nature of the operation, but Ozzy, 73, told Classic Rockmagazine in an interview published in May that he was “waiting on some more surgery” on his neck. Ozzy suffered a fall in 2019, which aggravated injuries he sustained in a 2003 ATV accident.
Beyond that, Ozzy has been battling a number of health issues over the past few years. Prior to the 2019 fall, he’d been hospitalized with a bad case of pneumonia, and in early 2020, he revealed he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
In April of this year, Ozzy tested positive for COVID-19.
Gunna has posted an open letter from behind bars proclaiming his innocence.
In the letter shared to his Instagram Tuesday – his 29th birthday – the rapper began by stating, “2022 has been one of the best years of my life, despite this difficult situation.”
He described how he went from a marginalized upbringing to using his talents to better his circumstances and provide for his loved ones.
“For now, I don’t have my freedom. But I am innocent,” he wrote. “I am being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name!”
He added, “The picture that is being painted of me is ugly and untrue … I have all faith that God will grant me justice for the purity in my heart and the innocence of my actions.”
Gunna also seemingly called out the way his music is being used against him in the case, writing, “As a Black Man in America, it seems as though my art is only acceptable when I’m a source of entertainment for the masses. My art is not allowed to stand alone as entertainment, I’m not allowed that freedom as a Black Man in America.”
The rapper concluded his message by writing in part, “When I was free, I was good and kind to the community around me and, when I’m released, I will do the same thing all over again.”
Gunna and Young Thug were among 28 people identified in a 56-count grand jury indictment that included counts of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, murder, armed robbery and participation in criminal street gang activity.
In addition to his love for country music, Jimmie Allen is also known for being an avid Disney fan.
The singer’s love for Disney dates back to childhood growing up in Delaware when he’d spend time watching Disney original movies. Now as a 36-year-old and father of three children, Jimmie has visited Disney World 70 times and counting since 2012, making a new family tradition of going to the beloved theme park for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“I think I messed up my son. Once you introduce Santa Claus and Mickey together, you can’t really top that, so you got to do that every year,” he remarks to Southern Living in regards to his seven-year-old son Aadyn. “But I love it.”
The “Best Shot” hitmaker calls himself a “classic Disney fan,” citing Carousel of Progress and Tomorrowland Speedway among his favorite rides, in addition to modern attractions like Avatar Flight of Passage and Star Wars’ Galaxy Edge at Hollywood Studios.
“I’m all about it. Disney, Universal are life,” Jimmie proclaims.
Zedd hasn’t been shy about his love of ice cream and, now, he’s teaming with N!CK’s, a Swedish-style ice cream brand, to create an all-new flavor.
The Grammy winner named his new offering “Chilly Mango,” which is “a mango ice cream with the perfect hint of spice and a sweet strawberry swirl,” per the press release. For those who have a sweet tooth and are hoping to maintain their summer body, a pint of Zedd’s ice cream is only 240 calories.
The “Clarity” artist is also launching a giveaway that runs through June 30, where the grand prize is a six-month supply of Zedd’s favorite ice cream flavors and tickets to his Zedd in the Park show. You can enter now on Try.Nicks.com/Zedd.
Bleachers has premiered How Dare You Want More, a short film named after a song off the band’s latest album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night.
The nearly 25-minute video follows frontman Jack Antonoff as he goes through a series of therapy sessions while working on new Bleachers music at New York City’s Electric Lady Studios. In between, he has lunch with his dad, played by frequent Wes Anderson actor Bob Balaban.
The cast also includes Zoë Chao and Ana Gasteyer, as well as Antonoff’s sister, Rachel Antonoff.
You can watch How Dare You Want More streaming now on YouTube.
Along with the film, Bleachers has released new remixes of “How Dare You Want More” and the Take the Sadness single “Stop Making This Hurt.” Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire takes on “How Dare You Want More,” while the “Stop Making This Hurt” remix is by producer A. G. Cook.
(PHILADELPHIA) — President Joe Biden delivered fired-up remarks on the economy before a friendly, cheering audience of union workers in Philadelphia Tuesday — nodding to inflation, high food and gas prices, and his plans to try to ease the economic pressures American families are facing.
Shouting at times, receiving standing ovations, and delivering plenty of classic “Bidenisms,” the president spoke about the economy to a convention of the AFL-CIO federation of labor unions — and acknowledged the record-high inflation rates his administration is trying to combat.
“Jobs are back, but prices are still too high,” Biden conceded, arguing Republicans are blocking him from carrying out his plan to bring down costs. “COVID is down, but gas prices are up. Our work isn’t done.”
High inflation is a major political liability for Biden, who blamed Republicans for blocking a lot of his ideas to lower prices for Americans.
During his campaign-like speech, he heavily praised organized labor — and delivered a midterm message.
“You’re a gigantic reason why I’m standing here,” Biden told the crowd. “Standing here today as your president. I really mean it.”
‘Jobs are back, but prices are still too high’
While Biden focused his message on the economy, he did not address inflation until well into his speech, and when he did, he reiterated how his personal experience with inflation gave him an understanding of what families are facing.
“Republicans in Congress are doing everything they can to stop my plans to bring down costs on ordinary families. That’s why my plan is not finished and why the results aren’t finished either,” Biden argued.
The president pointed to his efforts to bring down prices at the pump in particular by tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to get more oil to market, but noted the entire world is facing high inflation, and that in the United States, “It’s sapping the strength of a lot of families.”
Biden also went into more detail than usual about the food crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine, saying, part of his plan to help bring down food costs included the U.S. working to get Ukrainian grain out of the country and to the global markets.
He acknowledged the complicating factors involved in doing so, particularly because of the differences between Ukraine’s rails and the rest of Europe.
“We’re going to build silos, temporary silos in the borders of Ukraine, including in Poland, so we can transfer it from those cars into those silos into cars in Europe and get it out to the ocean and get it across the world,” Biden pledged, but conceded, “it’s taking time.”
Midterm message and support for Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania, Atlanta
With the midterm elections just a few months away, Biden used his remarks to also deliver a message to voters — trying to draw contrast between his party and Republicans on the economy, despite the dreary headlines his administration has been facing.
“Our work isn’t done but here’s the deal. America still has a choice to make. A choice between a government by the few for the few or a government for all of us. Democracy for all of us, an economy where all of us have a fair shot and a chance to earn our place in the economy,” Biden pitched to the crowd.
The president, who had prided himself on bipartisanship, said he is under no “illusions” when it comes to the Republican party today, hitting Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott’s tax proposal in his remarks.
“The fact is Republicans in Congress are still in the grip of the ‘ultra-MAGA’ agenda. And they still refuse to consider any part of the Trump tax cuts, which delivered a massive windfall to billionaires and others. And they weren’t paid for,” Biden said.
“They still refuse to consider a minimum corporate tax of 15%, minimum tax,” he said. “They seem to think that the problem in America today is the working families aren’t paying enough.”
He also delivered messages of support for two midterm candidates in particular: Pennsylvania Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, Stacey Abrams.
Biden said he held a Zoom call on Monday with Fetterman, who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania and recently suffered a stroke, telling the crowd Fetterman was “looking good” and “can’t wait to get back on the trail” — adding a joke about Fetterman’s size.
“If you’re in a foxhole, you want John with you man,” Biden said. “I know he can’t wait to get back on the trail. He’s looking good. He’s no bigger, stronger voice for working people in this state than John. Certainly no bigger one, for that matter.”
He also called on the union members to support Abrams, who he said was in attendance.
“I gotta ask y’all a favor: Help her in Georgia. Help Stacey Abrams in Georgia,” he said. “There’s three things I learned about her early on. One, she’s loyal. Two, she’s capable. And three, she’s smarter than me. She knows what she’s doing. So folks, please help her out.”
Touts pro-union credentials
Speaking before the union crowd, Biden said “nothing had made me prouder than that” to be called “the most pro-union president in history” by the AFL-CIO’S leadership.
“I promised you I would be, and I commit to you as long as I have this job I will remain that,” Biden said.
The president also called on Congress to pass the PRO Act, which would expand labor protections and the right to organize.
He touted his accomplishments, including the infrastructure bill, the millions of jobs created during his time in office, and how American families are carrying less debt and have more savings.
“I love these guys talking about why these guys left my employment, went to another job,” Biden said. “Because he got paid more! Isn’t that awful, isn’t that a shame that they gotta compete for labor. Better paying jobs, for better jobs for them and their families. It’s been a long time since that’s happened in this country, but it’s happening now.”
He contrasted himself with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, and the poor state of the economy in 2020.
“I promise you, I’m going to keep fighting for you,” Biden shouted, to loud cheers. “Are you prepared to fight with me?”
