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Thursday, November 4, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Kids Begin Getting COVID Vaxx

U-S PASSES 750K DEATHS: Children ages five to 11 began getting shots of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine Wednesday, one day after it got final approval from Centers for Disease Control advisers and then CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. The children in this age group are getting smaller doses of the vaccine that's one-third what's given to adults and minors age 12 and older. However, they will need to get two doses three weeks apart, and then require two more weeks for full protection, as with the standard vaccine. At the same time as that promising news, the U.S. reached another grim milestone, passing 750,000 deaths from Covid yesterday, according to Johns Hopkins University's count.

➤NEW ‘DELTA PLUS’ VARIANT APPEARS IN 8 STATES: With colder weather settling in, there are reported accounts of a new “Delta Plus” variant surfacing in 8 states. Health officials are keeping a close eye on the new strain and, while it may spread faster than the original variant, there are no reports that it causes more severe illness, and authorities say current vaccines remain effective against it. Among the 8 states are California, Florida, and Massachusetts. The CDC estimates that the new variant only accounted for less than .05% of current cases, with federal officials keeping close track of any new reports.

Screenshot of NY Post Graphic 11/4/21
➤BIDEN PLAYS BLAME GAME:  President Biden on Wednesday looked to blame anyone but himself for key Democratic setbacks in Tuesday elections.

Citing everything from former President Donald Trump to “very conservative folks who turned out” at the polls to Americans “upset and uncertain” about COVID-19 and rising prices — rather than disapproval of his political agenda — Biden doubled down, calling on Congress to quickly pass his $1.75 trillion spending bill to win back support.

In Virginia, Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe by more than 2 percentage points, despite Biden winning the state last year by 10 points. The defeat came after Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama all came to rallies in Virginia for McAuliffe.

And Republican Jack Ciattarelli is nearly tied with incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in traditionally blue New Jersey despite Biden’s nearly 16 point win there.


➤N.J. DEMOCRATIC GOV. MURPHY RE-ELECTED IN NARROW WIN: Democratic Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey was narrowly re-elected, with national media organizations including the AP calling him as the victor on Wednesday evening, one day after the election. It was a rare bright spot for the Democrats in what had largely not been a good election for them, led by Republicans winning back the governorship in Virginia, with Glenn Youngkin defeating Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Murphy is the first Democrat to be re-elected governor of New Jersey in 44 years, but that success was tempered by the close margin of victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, which hadn't been expected in the blue state. Addressing the Democrats' losses, Biden said from the White House yesterday that the party needs to, quote, "produce for the American people."

 
➤BIDEN SAYS MIGRANTS SEPARATED AT BORDER WON'T GET $450K PAYMENTS: President Biden yesterday dismissed recent media reports that migrant families who were separated at the border under former President Donald Trump's administration would get payments of $450,000. Asked by a journalist about the reported potential payments, Biden said, "$450,000 per person? Is that what you’re saying? That’s not going to happen." The American Civil Liberties Union, which is negotiating on behalf of the separated families, spoke out against Biden's remark, with executive director Anthony Romero saying, "If he follows through on what he said, the president is abandoning a core campaign promise to do justice for the thousands of separated families."


➤PENTAGON REVIEW FINDS NO MISCONDUCT, NEGLIGENCE IN DRONE STRIKE THAT KILLED AFGHAN CIVILIANS: An independent Pentagon review has concluded that there was no misconduct or negligence involved in the U.S. drone strike that killed innocent civilians, including children, in Kabul on August 29th in the chaotic final days of the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan. No disciplinary action was recommended. The review by Lieutenant General Sami Said, the Air Force inspector general, found breakdowns in communication and the process of identifying and confirming the target of the mistaken drone strike, and concluded it happened despite prudent measures to prevent civilian deaths. He said, "I understand they reached the wrong conclusion, but . . . was it reasonable to conclude what they concluded based on what they had? It was not unreasonable. It just turned out to be incorrect."

🔫SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS OVER N.Y. GUN LAW, SEEMS READY TO STRIKE IT DOWN: The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday over a New York gun law, its biggest gun case in more than a decade, and appeared ready to strike it down. The law, which is similar to others in half a dozen states, restricts carrying a gun in public to those who can demonstrate a particular need for doing so. While the court, on which conservatives hold a 6-3 majority, seemed poised to strike down the law, they expressed concern that a broad ruling could threaten gun restrictions on "sensitive" places, such as subways, stadiums and bars. The law's advocates said that striking down down will lead to more guns on the streets of city's like New York and L.A. and more gun violence.

🏫PARENTS CRITICAL OF TREND OF RETOUCHING SCHOOL PHOTOS: Some parents aren't happy about the trend of children's school pictures being retouched. FoxNews.com spoke to a couple of them, including a Utah mother whose three-year-old son's hearing aids appeared to have been, in her word, "softened," out of his school photo. She said, "[W]e spend all day every day making sure that he feels proud of the hearing aids, that he knows that they’re not something to be ashamed of. For somebody to take [them] away . . . it’s hurtful." Fox pointed to another mother, Kristin Loe, who last year tweeted two school photos of her son, showing how his freckles had been edited out and wrote, "Can I just have his freckles back please? Don’t change things that are actually a part of a child’s face." A Maryland mother, Jenn Greene, tweeted about being shocked when seeing a photo retouching option -- for an extra fee -- when ordering her 12-year-old daughter's school photos. Greene told Fox that having awkward middle school and high school photos is a "rite of passage," and that retouching sends children the wrong message. She explained, "[Y]ou’re basically saying you’re not good enough the way you are, so I’m going to pay to have you made better. . . . I don’t think that’s teaching them anything that’s valuable."

➤ADVISORY PANEL RECOMMENDS HEPATITIS B VACCINE FOR ALL U.S. ADULTS UNDER AGE 60: A government advisory committee recommended Wednesday that all U.S. adults under age 60 be vaccinated against hepatitis B, citing stalled progress against the liver-damaging disease. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to approve the recommendation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky would have to sign off on it for it to become public policy. Under the advisory, it would mostly be adults between ages 30 and 59 advised to get immunized, since hepatitis B vaccinations became standard for children in 1991, meaning most adults under 30 are already protected. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with blood or other bodily fluids, and many people don't know they have it, potentially not having liver damage and its symptoms for many years.

➤MORE PEOPLE APPLYING TO NURSING SCHOOL AMID PANDEMIC: Enrollment in U.S. nursing programs are up nearly six percent over last year, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing said Wednesday (November 3rd), with the pandemic apparently not scaring students off. Michael Usino, the assistant dean at Pennsylvania's Temple University, told CBS News the college was afraid people wouldn't want to apply because of hearing about overwhelmed doctors and nurses amid the pandemic. But nursing school applications were up by 15 percent this fall compared to 2019 in the program.

🏈PACKERS' RODGERS TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID, WON'T PLAY SUNDAY: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has tested positive for Covid-19 and won't play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to media reports yesterday (November 3rd). The NFL Network reported that the NFL has considered Rodgers as unvaccinated since the start of the season. Under the league's protocol, if Rodgers tests positive and is unvaccinated, he must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. According to ESPN, the 37-year-old Rodgers had an alternate treatment before training camp and petitioned the NFL for that to be considered the same as someone who was vaccinated, but the NFL rejected that and considered him unvaccinated.

➤EX-RAIDERS WR RUGGS SAID TO HAVE BEEN DRUNK DRIVING AT 156 MPH BEFORE FATAL CRASH: Prosecutors said Wednesday that former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III had a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada's legal limit and was driving at 156 miles per hour before he hit another vehicle in a fiery crash that killed a 23-year-old woman, Tina O. Tintor, and her dog. Ruggs was released by the Raiders late Tuesday, just hours after the crash. The 22-year-old was booked into a Las Vegas jail Tuesday after being released from the hospital. The extent of his injuries wasn't disclosed, but in his initial court appearance Wednesday, he was in a wheelchair with a foam brace around his neck. He faces felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving. Ruggs' girlfriend, 22-year-old Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, who was with him in the car, had surgery for a severe arm injury. Ruggs was released on $150,00 bail with strict conditions including home confinement and electronic monitoring.

 Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said yesterday that he'd be there for Ruggs, saying, "He's probably feeling a certain type of way about himself right now, and he needs to be loved. And if no one else will do it, I'll do it."

🏈BROWNS' BECKHAM WAS TOLD NOT TO COME TO PRACTICE AFTER FATHER'S VIDEO POST: Cleveland Browns wide received Odell Beckham Jr. was told not to come to practice Wednesday after his father posted a video on Instagram highlighting times when quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't throw the ball to Beckham when he was open. Odell Beckham Sr. also responded with "#bigfacts" to a post that called Mayfield "mediocre," and with three green check marks to post that said Mayfield was "either hating on Odell or he just doesn't want him shining." Mayfield said yesterday that he was stunned by the posts. Beckham's time with the Browns may now be over, with ESPN reporting his representation is engaged with general manager Andrew Berry on the next steps, and that head coach Kevin Stefanski told players Beckham effectively is not on the team right now.

⚾BRAVES PLANNING TWO-PART PARADE TO CELEBRATE WORLD SERIES WIN: The Atlanta Braves are planning a two-part parade on Friday to celebrate their first World Series win in 26 years that will acknowledge both their past and present. The parade will start at Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta, not far from the Braves' former homes of Turner Field and Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, going for two miles along Peachtree Street. The team will then head to suburban Cobb County, home of its current stadium, Truist Park, to resume the parade for another mile. The celebration will end with a free concert at Truist Park featuring Atlanta rappers Ludacris and Big Boi.

⚾GIANTS CATCHER POSEY TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT: San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will announce his retirement today, according to a report in The Athletic yesterday. The 34-year-old veteran catcher has spent his entire 12-year career with the Giants, helping them win three World Series, in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Posey was also the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year and won the 2012 NL MVP.



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