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COVID-19 live updates: 126,000 Americans hospitalized with COVID-19

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 833,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 62.4% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Jan 06, 10:47 pm
Global COVID cases top 300 million

The number of global cases of COVID-19 crossed 300 million on Thursday night, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S. continues to have the most cases in the world — as it has all pandemic — with over 58 million cases. India (35 million), Brazil (22 million), the U.K. (14 million) and France (11 million) round out the top 5 countries by total cases.

Global cases crossed 200 million on Aug. 4, 2021, and 100 million on Jan. 26, 2021, according to JHU.

With many people now experiencing second bouts of the virus, it’s unclear how many total people have been infected globally.

Jan 06, 7:18 pm
Chicago cancels classes for 3rd day

Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district, canceled instruction on Friday for the third day in a row amid an impasse over in-person learning.

Classes were first canceled Wednesday, and then again on Thursday, after a majority of the Chicago Teachers Union’s membership voted this week in favor of remote learning during a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The district said Thursday evening that all classes will be canceled on Friday, though some schools may be able to offer in-person activities for students.

“Our schools are the best, safest place for students to be during this pandemic, and we are working tirelessly to get everyone back in class every day,” Pedro Martinez, head of the school district, said in a letter to families, noting that they are continuing to work with the union “to resolve this situation.”

The teacher’s union is calling for more robust school COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.

Jan 06, 6:43 pm
J&J says vaccine offers lower initial efficacy but more stable protection over time

Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine offers lower initial efficacy compared to Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, but protection against breakthrough infection remains more stable over time, according to a new study sponsored by the pharmaceutical company.

The study found that the J&J vaccine was 74% effective against breakthrough infection in the weeks following the shot. This level of protection held steady over the next three months and started waning after the fourth month.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, meanwhile, were 88% and 92% effective, respectively, against breakthrough infection in the weeks following the second dose, the study found. This level of protection started waning after the second month, falling progressively over six months.

Protection against severe illness remained more stable over time for all three vaccines.

The analysis, which has not been peer-reviewed, looked at data from 168 million people between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7 of last year. It covers a period of alpha and delta variant dominance, but the results could change now that the omicron variant is also present.

The data supports current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for booster shots after two months for the J&J vaccine to bring initial efficacy higher, and booster shots for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines after five and six months, respectively, to boost efficacy after a period of waning.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Jan 06, 4:44 pm
Less than 0.1% of fully vaccinated adults get severe COVID-19: CDC

COVID-19 vaccines dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness and death from the virus, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday.

The study looked at 1.2 million fully vaccinated adults who received either two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Just 0.18% of patients had breakthrough COVID-19 infections, and 0.015% developed serious illness that led to hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, intubation or death.

The small portion of people who did become seriously sick or die of COVID-19 after being vaccinated were primarily older adults, immunocompromised people or those living with multiple underlying medical conditions.

The study was conducted before the emergence of the omicron variant, which appears to more easily evade — at least partially — the protection offered by vaccines.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Three men convicted in Ahmaud Arbery’s murder to be sentenced

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — The three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery are set to be sentenced on Friday.

A Georgia jury in November, after deliberating for about 11 hours, convicted the three white men of chasing and fatally shooting Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was out on a Sunday jog in February 2020.

Travis McMichael, 35, delivered the deadly shot and was convicted on all nine charges: malice murder, four counts of felony murder, aggravated assault with a shotgun, aggravated assault with a pickup truck, false imprisonment and criminal intent to commit a felony.

His father, Gregory McMichael, 65, a former Georgia police officer, was found not guilty of malice murder but was convicted on the remaining charges, including the felony murder counts.

The McMichaels’ neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, was found guilty of three felony murder counts as well as charges of aggravated assault with his pickup truck, false imprisonment and criminal intent to commit a felony.

All three had pleaded not guilty to the nine-count state indictment. Each faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The three men also have been indicted on federal hate crime charges, and all have pleaded not guilty. Jury selection for that trial is set to begin Feb. 7.

Biden vaccine mandates face critical Supreme Court test

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As the omicron coronavirus variant sweeps the nation, the Biden administration on Friday will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to greenlight sweeping vaccination requirements for health workers and employees of large private businesses in an urgent push to slow the spread of the virus.

The justices will hear oral arguments in a pair of highly-expedited cases that could determine whether millions of doctors, nurses and health facility staff must be vaccinated to stay on the job, and whether thousands of employers must soon implement vaccine-or-testing programs for their workforces.

More than 205 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but tens of millions of others who are eligible have not received their first shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rules are being challenged by separate coalitions of Republican-led states, industry trade groups, and religious organizations, which have accused the administration of an “unprecedented” and illegal power grab and infringement on individual rights.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which issued an emergency order in November requiring vaccinations of workers at facilities funded by Medicare and Medicaid, says the requirement “will save hundreds or even thousands of lives each month.”

“The Secretary found that unvaccinated staff at healthcare facilities pose a serious threat to the health and safety of patients because the virus that causes COVID-19 is highly transmissible and dangerous,” HHS writes in court documents.

The nation is now averaging nearly 1,200 new deaths from the virus each day, up by about 10% in the last seven days but a notably lower rate than a year ago, according to CDC. Nearly 828,000 Americans have now been lost since the pandemic began.

Two federal appeals courts have upheld the health worker vaccine mandate citing federal law that allows HHS to impose conditions on facilities that receive federal funds; a third, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, put the policy on hold.

“There’s something called the power of the purse. If we see a hospital, or a nursing home [that] … has some pathogen flying around that they’re not dealing with. We have the ability to say, ‘no, you can’t allow a Medicare beneficiary to go there because they’ll get sick or they’ll risk getting sick,'” said Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Obama administration.

“We have to have those standards, and if you don’t have those standards, think about the absurdity of being having been forced to spend taxpayer money to send people to unsafe situations,” Slavitt said.

Twenty-two states already mandate COVID vaccinations for health care workers; 6 states explicitly ban them, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy.

Ten GOP-led states challenging the HHS mandate warn of “disastrous consequences” for health systems in rural areas with potential for widespread job losses over workers refusing to get the shot. “That’s quite the opposite of promoting patients’ ‘health and safety,’” they write in court documents.

The government argues vaccination will alleviate staff shortages by making it less likely health care workers contract the virus and get sidelined to recover.

In a separate case, the justices will also review an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule requiring private American businesses with 100 or more employees verify vaccinations or conduct weekly testing to ensure workplace safety starting next month.

“Unvaccinated employees face a ‘grave danger’ from workplace exposure,” the agency tells the court, quoting from the federal law it says authorizes the mandate. “The standard will save over 6,500 worker lives and prevent over 250,000 hospitalizations over the course of six month.”

The U.S. continues to average more new cases per day than at any other point in the pandemic, federal data shows.

Opponents call the requirement hastily-conceived and an “historically unprecedented administrative command” not authorized by Congress. They also warn of “irreparable harm” to businesses still recovering from the pandemic.

“Small business owners depend on the freedom to make decisions for their businesses and are managing several challenges right now such as the labor shortage supply chain disruptions,” said Karen Harned, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business legal center, which is challenging the rule. “This mandate will only exacerbate those issues and make it harder for small business owners. OSHA does not have the emergency authority to regulate American workers under such a mandate.”

They also argue that COVID-19 is not unique to the workplace or a “grave danger,” despite more than 828,000 deaths attributed to the virus in the U.S.

“Why those are certainly tragic numbers is that a lot of that is preventable,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “They’re some of the safest vaccines, and most studied vaccines that we have today, and they’re highly effective.”

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in December upheld the OSHA rule as lawful. The Biden administration says employers must enforce masking among unvaccinated employees starting Jan. 10; proof of vaccination or testing compliance begins Feb. 9.

No state currently has a vaccination-or-test rule for private employers, but 18 states have set the policy for state employees, according to NASHP.

Americans remain divided on the vaccine-or-test policy for employers and mandate for health workers at Medicare or Medicaid facilities. Six in 10 said they support the administration’s rules in a CNN poll last month, a finding that mirrors a Gallup survey earlier in the fall.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court has rendered mixed decisions on contested government COVID policies over the past year. In August, a majority of justices effectively struck down the CDC’s eviction moratorium as exceeding agency authority; they also repeatedly ruled against state public health restrictions on religious gatherings and capacity limits at churches.

But the high court has also shown deference to state and federal officials trying to respond to the pandemic, rebuffing a challenge to New York State’s vaccination mandate for health workers and denying student and parent appeals of school and university vaccination or testing requirements.

The cases before the court Friday are technically emergency applications for immediate — but temporary — relief, not final judgements on the merits of the mandates, which are still being litigated in lower courts.

A decision from the justices is expected in days or weeks, rather than months, given the expedited nature of the case and the ongoing public health emergency.

Duchess Kate turns 40: What’s ahead for the royal

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Duchess Kate is starting 2022 with a milestone birthday.

The Duchess of Cambridge turns 40 on Jan. 9, a birthday she is expected to celebrate privately with her family.

Kate, the wife of Prince William and a mother of three, appears to be starting her new decade with a renewed focus on her royal role.

In the nearly 11 years since she wed Prince William at Westminster Abbey, she has become one of the most popular members of Britain’s royal family.

And in recent years, Kate has taken on an increasingly high-profile role in the royal family amid family changes.

At age 95, Queen Elizabeth II has scaled back her public engagements, particularly since a brief hospitalization in October. And Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s decision to step back as senior working royals has left William and Kate, now the only working royals of their generation, to pick up more duties.

The growing public profile has been a “significant transformation” for Kate, who was thrust into the public spotlight when she started dating William while in college, according to ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy.

“I think her desire to do a good job, be liked by the public and respected by the family was palpable in the beginning, and she was clearly very nervous when the spotlight was on her over public speaking,” said Murphy. “She built up her workload very gradually, taking on only a small number of patronages initially and taking time before making solo appearances and speeches.”

“But over the years, Kate has grown hugely in confidence, and is now a driving force behind how she and William work and the causes they take on,” she said.

It was Kate, for example, who had the idea to focus on mental health as a cause, according to Murphy, resulting in the very successful Heads Together campaign that launched in 2016 and continues to be a focus of William and Kate’s work to this day.

As the Cambridges prepare to one day become king and queen consort, Murphy says the public can expect to see Kate grow even more in her role as she zeroes in on causes close to her heart.

“I’ve always thought that Kate is a team player, cool-headed and a good listener, and that these things have stood her in good stead over the year,” said Murphy. “I think she also very much has the ability to compartmentalize, as it has been said the queen does, which is an important quality in handling the pressures of the public role.”

Since becoming a mom eight years ago, Kate has focused much of her attention on supporting new parents and young children.

In early 2020, just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Kate launched a nationwide survey to explore what people in the U.K. think about raising children, with a focus on kids under age 5.

Then in June of last year, the duchess launched the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, which she said is designed to “raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes, and what we can do as a society to embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy, more nurturing society.”

At the same time, Kate and the Royal Foundation, William and Kate’s charitable arm, released “Big Change Starts Small,” a research report on early childhood development.

Kate has also focused much of her work on making sure the outdoors are included in kids’ early development. She helped design a “Back to Nature” garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2019, and the next year was named joint president of the U.K. Scout Association, marking the first time a royal woman has held the title of president or joint president of the Scouts.

“I think what has changed in the last few years is that it has become really clear what Kate’s main areas of work are in a way that feels much more focused and immersive,” said Murphy. “She has always been interested in the outdoors and in young people, but the fact that she is making those areas cornerstones of her work have become a lot more obvious.”

Murphy said Kate’s commitment to the cause of early childhood education is particularly striking, noting, “It’s a challenging and very broad area but she has shown a real and serious commitment to it over a long period of time that I think has earned her a lot of respect from people who work in this field.”

During the pandemic, Kate offered support for parents and students and teachers, and spoke about the experience of quarantining with and leading virtual learning for her own children, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.

The glimpse Kate provided into her and William’s home life is just one example of how the duchess’ growing confidence has allowed her to be more at ease, according to Murphy.

Kate and William launched a YouTube channel last year, where they share more behind-the-scenes content. And in 2020, Kate gave a rare interview to a motherhood-focused podcast, where she opened up about experiencing mom guilt.

“The [podcast] was a brave move because it could have backfired if people had been critical of the fact she has access to a lot more help than most,” said Murphy. “But it ended up being one of the best things she could have done because it really made it clear how hands-on a mother she is and the relatable way she is raising her three children.”

Kate has also been more public in recent years about her own passions, whether that is participating in sports, like the tennis game that Kate, an avid fan, played with U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu last year, or photography.

Kate, a college art major who is often the photographer behind family photos shared with the public, last year launched a photography project, “Hold Still,” to capture life during the coronavirus pandemic.

The photographs were compiled in a book in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is a patron.

More recently, in December, Kate hosted her first Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey, honoring people and organizations who supported their communities during the pandemic.

During the concert, Kate delivered a surprise performance, showing off one of her unknown passions, piano playing, when she accompanied singer Tom Walker.

“These things show a willingness to put herself out there and to let us see more of who she is and what she enjoys,” said Murphy.

And while Kate seems to be most in her element when outdoors or with kids, she is also happy to embrace the “glamorous side of royal life,” according to Murphy.

She stunned in a gold evening gown at the world premiere of the latest James Bond movie in September, and won praise the next month for wearing a recycled Alexander McQueen gown at the inaugural Earthshot Prize Awards.

“Over the years there has been much excitement when she has worn tiaras from the queen’s collection,” said Murphy. “And even a decade into her public role, she still easily commands all the front pages whenever she makes a red carpet appearance.”

CDC warns about rabies linked to bats after three Americans die in recent weeks

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning Thursday about the risk of rabies after three Americans — including a child — died from the disease over a six-week period last year.

All three patients contracted rabies after being exposed to bats.

This brings the total number of rabies cases in 2021 to five, which officials say is concerning considering there were no cases reported in the U.S. in 2019 and 2020.

“We have come a long way in the United States towards reducing the number of people who become infected each year with rabies, but this recent spate of cases is a sobering reminder that contact with bats poses a real health risk,” Dr. Ryan Wallace, a veterinarian and rabies expert in the CDC’s Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said in a press release.

The deaths occurred between Sept. 28, 2021 and Nov. 10, 2021 with one case each in Idaho, Illinois and Texas, according to a report published by the CDC.

Two of the deaths were described as “avoidable exposures.” One involved a bat roost in a person’s home and the other involved a patient picking up the bat with bare hands.

None of the three patients, all male, received post-exposure shots that can prevent the rabies virus from infecting a person and causing symptoms to develop.

According to the CDC, one patient refused the shots due to a “long-standing fear of vaccines” and the other two did not realize they were at risk for rabies due to their exposures.

Once a person starts to develop rabies symptoms, which include fever, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, confusion and hallucination, it means the disease has progressed to the point where it is almost 100% fatal.

All three patients died between two and three weeks after their symptoms began.

In its report, the CDC suggested that the uptick in rabies deaths is because people may not be aware of the risks of the disease.

The CDC also warned people to never touch or handle bats, which are the leading cause of rabies in people — accounting for 70% of infections in the U.S. Raccoons, skunks, and foxes are other common causes in the U.S.

Infected bats spread the virus through their saliva, typically from a bite. However, the saliva can also enter the body through a cut or break in the skin.

If a person has come into contact with a bat, the CDC recommends calling the state or local health department so the animal can be trapped for testing. They should also immediately wash wounds with soap and water

The person should also not delay speaking to a health care professional or seeking urgent medical to determine whether or not they need post-exposure shots. Post exposure shots are highly effective in preventing death if given soon after exposure.

Scoreboard roundup — 1/6/22

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New York 108, Boston 105
Memphis 118, Detroit 88
New Orleans 101, Golden State 96
Phoenix 106, LA Clippers 89

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 6, Philadelphia 2
New Jersey 3, Columbus 1
San Jose 3, Buffalo 2
Tampa Bay 4, Calgary 1
Minnesota 3, Boston 2
Dallas 6, Florida 5 (SO)
Colorado 7, Winnipeg 1
Arizona 6, Chicago 4
Vegas 5, NY Rangers 1
Nashville 4, Los Angeles 2
Toronto at Montreal (Postponed)
Ottawa at Seattle (Postponed)

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UCLA 96, Long Beach St. 78
Southern Cal 77, California 63
Indiana 67, Ohio St. 51
Wisconsin 87, Iowa 78
San Francisco at Gonzaga (Postponed)
UCLA at Stanford (Postponed)

You know we still love you, babe: Happy first birthday to Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license”

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

One year ago Saturday, back on January 8, 2021, a 17-year-old Disney star named Olivia Rodrigo released a song called “drivers license” — and then proceeded to utterly dominate the pop music world for the rest of the year.

“It was just crazy. Like, my entire life shifted in an instant. It was weird!” Olivia told The New York Times a month-and-a-half after the song’s release, by which time it’d topped charts worldwide.

A year ago, Olivia was best known as the star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Her song “All I Want” from that latter series had gone viral on TikTok, and she’d teased “drivers license” on the app in 2020, hinting that it was about a “failed relationship.”

After the song’s release, fans on TikTok drove themselves into a frenzy speculating that the person who inspired it was her HSMTMTS co-star Joshua Barrett, and the two were part of a love triangle with “that blonde girl” — actress/singer Sabrina Carpenter. None of that speculation has ever been confirmed.

On January 10, Olivia’s hero, Taylor Swift, noting that “drivers license” was next to her song on iTunes, posted, “I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud.” On January 12, the song broke the Spotify record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song, and then set the record for the biggest first week for a song on both Spotify and Amazon Music.

“drivers license” debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Olivia the youngest artist ever to achieve that feat. By the end of February, the song had inspired an entire skit on Saturday Night Live, Olivia had turned 18 and was being hailed as the second coming of both Taylor Swift and Alanis Morissette.

But “drivers license” was just the beginning: It was followed by four additional hits from Olivia’s number-one debut album, SOUR, plus three MTV VMA wins, an American Music Award, a People’s Choice Award and seven Grammy nominations.

We can’t wait to see what Olivia does this year.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Elliot Easton, Matthias Jabs taking part in Q&A events during NAMM’s Believe in Music online event

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Cars‘ Elliot Easton and The Scorpions‘ Matthias Jabs are among a variety of artists who will take part in the NAMM organization’s Believe in Music online event, which is scheduled for January 20 and 21.

Taking place instead of the annual in-person NAMM Show music-equipment trade conference — which has been moved to the summer — Believe in Music is a global online gathering that will help unify and provide support for the people and organizations that bring music to the world.

Believe in Music will offer a variety of free music-business-related presentations, including artist interviews, performances, round-table discussions, forums, tutorials, gear unveilings and more.

Easton and Jabs both will be participating in interviews on January 20, scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET and 5:30 p.m. ET, respectively.

Other artists also taking part in interview events include rock-guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd and Struts members Luke Spiller and Adam Slack.

For full details about the online event, visit BelieveinMusic.tv.

The 2022 NAMM Show has been combined with the Summer NAMM conference, and is scheduled to take place July 3-5 at California’s Anaheim Convention Center.

Why Kevin Hart says guest starring on ‘Shark Tank’ was an ‘amazing moment’

January 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

You can now add Shark to the long list of titles held by Kevin Hart when the actor, investor, and entrepreneur joins as a guest Shark on Friday night’s episode of ABC’s Shark Tank.

The moment is one that Hart says is “amazing” and praises Sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, and Lori Greiner for what they’ve built.

“You’re looking at some of the most influential people in business today, and they not only have made successes for themselves throughout their career, you’re looking at a television show that’s been around for 13 seasons,” he says.

In addition to working alongside some very successful people, Hart says that he didn’t just appear on the show to benefit himself, but to help others as well.

“If I can reach back and give opportunities to others, to people of my community, to the younger generation that is coming up that should be our future leaders of tomorrow and our future groundbreakers of today and tomorrow, why not?” he asks. “I’m not in the business of just doing it for me. You know, I think that’s the role that we all play when we get to sit in these chairs is the role of opportunity for not just ourselves, but others.”

Speaking of helping others, the True Story star shares that the best piece of business advice he’s ever gotten was “never try to be the smartest person in the room,” adding, “You’re really good when you understand that it takes the talent of others to make you better in the vision that you have become a reality.”

Even though Hart is head of several companies, when it comes to home life, his wife, Eniko, runs the show.

“I can’t say I’m the boss at all. She runs that household, that’s her domain,” he explains.

Fatal Philadelphia fire investigation getting help from national response team

January 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHILADELPHIA) — A National Response Team is being activated to help with the investigation into Wednesday’s devastating fire in Philadelphia.

A residential fire in a converted apartment building killed 12 people, including eight children. Officials initially reported 13 people had been killed while conducting search and recovery efforts.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke, heat and limited visibility on all floors.

The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire along with help from the Philadelphia Police Department and the federal NRT, part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The deployment of the NRT came at the request of the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office given the magnitude and the scope of the fire, the bureau said in a statement.

“We’re grateful for the assistance as we continue to investigate the heartbreaking fire on 23rd Street,” the Philadelphia Fire Department said in a tweet.

Firefighters were able to rescue one child from the fire, but the child didn’t survive.

“This is a very tragic event in which the community sustained such a great loss of life,” said Matthew Varisco, special agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to assist in any way possible.”

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