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As summer begins, US COVID-19 cases six times higher than last year

As the US marks Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are more than six times what they were a year ago.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center showed a seven-day average of 119,725 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year. 

Despite the rising infection rate, COVID-related deaths were down from last year, a sign of increased immunity through vaccines and prior infections, along with wider availability of treatments.

The seven-day average of 470 deaths reported on Friday marked a decrease from 637 on the same day last year. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that about 54 percent of the U.S. population is experiencing low COVID-19 community levels, though some areas are seeing medium and high levels.

But the more than fivefold increase in infections comes as health experts have warned Americans to exercise caution ahead of a possible surge. 

Almost a month ago, Deborah Birx, a leading member of the Trump administration’s White House coronavirus task force, said that Americans should be “preparing right now for a potential surge in this summer across the southern United States.” 

Bill Gates has warned that it is possible that the worst of this pandemic has not yet occurred, pressing for more investments needed to prevent a future pandemic.

“We’re still at risk of this pandemic generating a variant that would be even more transmissive and even more fatal,” he said. “It’s not likely, I don’t want to be a voice of doom and gloom, but it’s way above a 5 percent risk that this pandemic, we haven’t even seen the worst of it.”

Still, current COVID-19 case numbers are well below peaks this winter, when the highly transmissible omicron variant contributed to a widespread uptick in inflections.

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CNN's Acosta tells NRA to 'look into its soul' to protect kids

CNN’s Jim Acosta got into a heated exchange with a National Rifle Association (NRA) board member on Sunday afternoon over actions to counter gun violence following last week’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

“I’m 51 years old,” Acosta said. “This has been going on for decades, and it just seems to me that the NRA just has to look into its soul.”

“I’m sorry to say it that way, sir, but you and your other board members need to look into your souls and see what can be done for these kids. These kids who keep dying over and over again, over and over again,” he continued before ending the interview.

Earlier in the interview, Acosta asked the NRA board member, Judge Phillip Journey, about the group’s opposition to gun control measures.

“Over and over and over, judge, we have these mass shootings,” Acosta said. “Isn’t it finally time to say that your way doesn’t work?”

Journey responded by saying current background check systems do not “work effectively” because states will “not do their share of the job.” 

“The federal government and [the National Crime Information Center] over in West Virginia do a great job compiling the records, doing the background checks and making sure individuals are barred from purchasing firearms,” Journey said. 

“But then of course, they’re not prosecuted for their attempt. Now, maybe we should start prosecuting convicted felons who are trying to buy guns, because we get thousands of them every month who are denied,” he said.

Journey joined CNN from Houston, where the NRA is hosting its annual convention this weekend. Multiple scheduled speakers canceled their in-person appearances following the Uvalde shooting, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R).

Democrats in Congress are eyeing votes on measures including a federal red-flag law that would allow authorities to seize guns from individuals deemed a threat, along with expanded federal background checks for gun sales.

Although some Democrats sounded an optimistic note about the tone of gun control negotiations, significant gun legislation remains unlikely to pass given Republican opposition.

Democratic governors in California, New York and New Jersey are pushing ahead with state actions in the wake the latest mass shootings.

During Sunday’s interview, Acosta at times held up the cover of The New York Times’ Sunday review section, a page printed in black with a single repeated statement — “Authorities said the gunman was able to obtain the weapon legally” — in white text, for each of 15 mass shootings between 2012 and last week’s incident in Uvalde.

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These three Democrat-led states are pushing ahead on gun control

Three Democratic-led states — California, New York and New Jersey — have pressed forward with gun reform legislation in the wake of the deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead. 

The state action comes as Democrats in Congress eye votes on measures including a federal red-flag law and expanded background checks, however doubts remain over possible Republican cooperation.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)  announced on Wednesday, just one day after the Texas shooting, that the state would “expedite commonsense gun safety laws that will protect people from gun violence.”

Newsom committed to signing a package of bills, including restrictions on the sale of firearms to minors and so-called ghost guns, or unlicensed kits to build untraceable firearms.

The package of bills would also create “private right of action to limit spread of illegal assault weapons and ghost guns” in addition to enabling gun violence victims and governments to sue manufacturers and sellers of firearms.

“While the U.S. Senate stands idly by and activist federal judges strike down commonsense gun laws across our nation, California will act with the urgency this crisis demands,” Newsom said in a statement.  

California also recently had its own deadly shooting, when a man allegedly killed one and injured several others at a southern California church. 

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has pressed for state legislators to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21, from the current limit of 18. 

“I don’t want 18-year-olds to have guns,” Hochul said at a meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns, which includes law enforcement representatives from nine states.

“I want to work with the legislature to do something that is far more common sense than we have right now. At minimum, the AR-15s, but I’m going to take a look at everything,” she added.

The move comes less than two weeks after a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. that left 10 people dead at a grocery store. 

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has pressed for similar changes in his state.

In remarks on Wednesday, Murphy urged action on gun reform in the state, including on a package he proposed.

“I introduced the comprehensive Gun Safety 3.0 package over a year ago and this moment demands that the Legislature finally take action,” he said, adding that the “proposed laws are hardly revolutionary.” 

“They would mandate safe storage of guns. They would ensure that those seeking to buy a gun are actually trained in the safe handling of that gun,“ Murphy said. “They would give police tools to better track the paths of firearms used to commit crimes. They would prohibit the sale of weapons that can bring down helicopters.”

The package of reform policies would also raise the minimum age to purchase long guns to 21, ban .50 caliber firearms and close the loophole for importing out-of-state firearms, the governor’s office said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has tried to turn the focus to mental health in the fallout from the Uvalde shooting, with his Democratic opponent in upcoming elections, Beto O’Rourke, confronting him at a press conference on Wednesday.

“You are doing nothing,” O’Rourke said, feet away from Abbott. “You said this was not predictable, this was totally predictable, and you choose not to do anything.”

California, New Jersey and New York all rank in the top eight U.S. states for their gun law strength compared against their gun violence rates, according to research from Everytown for Gun Safety. 

Source: TEST FEED1

School counselors say students socially, emotionally frozen amid pandemic: NYT survey

Many students across the United States are socially and emotionally frozen at their age when the pandemic hit, according to school counselors surveyed by the New York Times.

The Times interviewed 362 school counselors working with kindergarteners through high school seniors, with the unscientific survey painting a grim picture for young people’s ability to cope and relate amid the pandemic.

Most counselors told the Times that they have noticed more students showing signs of anxiety or depression, trouble focusing on classwork and difficulties solving conflicts with friends.

Eighty-eight percent of counselors said they have seen more students struggling emotionally, and 67 percent reported seeing more signs of students with low self-esteem. Seventy-two percent said they have seen students more often breaking classroom rules, according to the survey.

The survey included interviews with school counselors in 49 states, including a quarter in urban areas and a third in rural areas. 

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory in December about mental health challenges young people were grappling with during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the pandemic had caused anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns to increase.

The Times’ survey found that more than nine in ten counselors reported noticing increased anxiety and depression in their students compared to before the pandemic. 

Just six of the 362 individuals interviewed said students’ social skills were back to normal for their age. And nine in 10 counselors reported that their jobs were more stressful compared to before.

The survey also found changes to students’ interactions online. A slim majority of counselors — 51 percent — said they noticed more instances of students harassing their peers online and engaging in physical fights.

“There is an increase in sexual behaviors and vandalism due to the viral TikToks,” Melissa Sonnenblick, a school counselor in Easton, Pa., told The Times.

Some politicians have challenged social media companies to confront youth mental health issues, and how their platforms impact young Americans.

The Senate Commerce Committee held a series of hearings last fall after a Facebook whistleblower leaked internal documents about the platform’s effect on young users, and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general launched a probe into Instagram’s impact on children and teens weeks later.

“We must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit,” President Biden said in his State of the Union address in March.

Source: TEST FEED1

Zelensky visits frontlines as Ukraine pushes back in south

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the frontlines of the battle against Russia in the eastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, his first appearance outside Kyiv since the war began, coming as his forces reportedly made a counteroffensive in the south.

In a statement, Zelenksy’s office said that the president met with the members of the military and presented troops with awards and gifts.

“I want to thank each of you for your service. You risk your life for all of us and our state. Thank you for defending Ukraine’s independence. Take care of yourself!” Zelensky told the serviceman.

Zelensky also inspected destroyed residential buildings in Khakiv city, according to a separate statement.

According to the president’s office, Russian forces have occupied 31 percent of the Kharkiv region, but it said Ukrainian forces were able to take five percent of the region back. 

Ukraine announced a counterattack against Russia in the southern Kherson region over the weekend, after waiting for Western munitions to arrive and bolster forces, the New York Times reported.

This frontline visit was the first time Zelensky visited a city or region outside of the capital of Kyiv since Russia invaded in late February, according to the Times.

Kharkiv has been a key target for Russian forces, with the city’s governor confirming on Thursday that nine civilians were killed and 19 others were wounded due to recent Russian shelling. 

In a previous address, Zelensky also said that conditions in the Donbas region of the country have been “indescribably difficult” since the invasion began.

“But our defense holds on,” Zelensky said in his address “It’s indescribably difficult there. And I am grateful to all those who withstand this onslaught of the occupiers.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Pentagon under pressure to protect abortion access

Lawmakers and advocates are pressing the Department of Defense to protect access to abortion for servicewomen as the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. 

The Army and the Air Force have made policy changes aimed at making leave for pregnancy termination easier.

But advocates say the Pentagon itself should issue rules that would allow service women to take leave to end pregnancies through abortion in order to eliminate disparities between the services on abortion access.

“This is not an Air Force issue, an Army issue, a Marine Corps issue, this is a national security Department of Defense personnel readiness issue,” said Rachel VanLandingham, an associate professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

“So therefore, this policy should come from the Department of Defense itself. There’s no room for disparities amongst the services,” she added.

The Hyde Amendment forbids federal dollars from being used for abortions unless a pregnancy endangers the life of a mother, and Tricare, the military’s healthcare program, only covers abortion in those cases or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Research from Ibis Reproductive Heath suggests that the rate of unintended pregnancy is higher in the military that in the general population.

Ibis president Kelly Blanchard noted, however, that it’s difficult to tell how many women are seeking abortions because of unintended pregnancies.

“The military itself is not routinely across branches, collecting enough information to know that number,” Blanchard said, adding that the stigma around sexual activity in the military could play a role in the lack of information.

“I think we just have to be conscious of the challenge of people reporting in a military environment that that’s what their experience has been,” she said.

Service women seeking abortions also have the option to do so at facilities off base.

Allison Gill, a Navy veteran and host of the podcasts “Mueller She Wrote” and “The Daily Beans,” wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post up about seeking an abortion off base after she was raped.

Gill, who at the time was at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, said that when she reported the incident, she was threatened to be kicked out of the military. 

“Had Roe been overturned, that probably wouldn’t be the case,” Gill told The Hill. “The worst part of my experience would be being forced to give birth, first of all. And then being forced to give birth to my rapist’s baby.”

While Gill was able to get an abortion at a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic, she said that not every servicemember can easily access the care they need. Many will have to request leave through their chain of command, which can force a servicemember to explain why they’re leaving. 

Sean Timmons, a managing partner at the law firm Tully Rickney PLC, says that women could face a more hostile work environment after going through the approval process.

“Even if they get approved, when they return, it’s probably going to get leaked while they were gone,” he said, noting a “good number of people” will likely treat that servicemember differently.

“Half of the ranks are probably going to be voters who are very hostile to abortion,” he added. “So that’s going to make a very difficult environment to work.”

The Supreme Court this summer is widely expected to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. A leaked draft opinion published by Political this month showed five conservatives on the court are ready to do so.

At least 26 states are likely to or will claw back abortion rights if Roe gets overturned, according to the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute.

Blanchard noted that as the number of clinics where one can access abortion services gets reduced, it puts a greater strain on clinics in other states with more accessible care.

“You have to travel further, there’s additional expense for the travel, you still have to pay for the procedure, you have to find someone to take care of your kids, if you have kids, you have to deal with the logistics of getting time off,” she continued.

In mid-April, the Army released a policy stating in part that “given the time-sensitive nature of the procedure, pregnancy termination will not require unit commander pre-approval.” At the same time, the Army said soldiers would have to keep their commanders notified of expected absences. The Air Force adopted a similar policy in June 2021. 

Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston told a House appropriations subcommittee on May 12 that the Army was drafting policies to take care of service members “in an appropriate way” in response to the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. Ultimately, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth would have to sign off on these directives.

The Pentagon has been largely mum on how rolling back abortion rights would affect military readiness.

The agency’s top spokesperson, John Kirby, told reporters in early May that “the health and well-being of our men and women are paramount concerns of Department leadership.”

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a group of Democrats on the Senate Armed Services committee urged the Pentagon chief to implement policies to allow servicemembers to obtain special permissions to travel out of state for reproductive healthcare.

VanLandingham said that the Pentagon has room to indicate that the military will support women if they need to travel to seek abortion care.

“I’m hoping that the military can do this in a mature, sensitive way. And why? Because they need to retain their women,” she said. “Women are an integral part of the force “And if this is all going to jeopardize their morale and readiness within the military then that’s a national security problem.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Stampede injures 16 at New York's Barclays Center after false alarm over active shooter

Sixteen people were injured at the Barclays Center in New York City on Sunday morning after false reports of an active shooter spread through the crowd at a boxing match.

A stampede occurred around 1:05 a.m. as the Gervonta Davis-Rolando Romero boxing match was wrapping up, according to a New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson.

The spokesperson said there were shouts about a shot fired, with the crowd “attempting to flee everywhere.”

After the frenzy, seven people were transported to local hospitals, and the remaining nine injured were treated on-site by medical staff, the NYPD said. The entire event unfolded over just a few minutes, lasting until police confirmed there was no active shooter. It’s unclear what exactly prompted the report of an active shooter.

The incident comes after a mass shooting this week in Texas, where a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two adults in the deadliest school shooting in almost a decade. It also comes after a mass shooter opened fire inside a grocery store, killing 10 people in Buffalo, N.Y., earlier this month.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka was among those at the Barclays Center on Sunday. She tweeted that she suddenly “heard shouting and saw people running, then we were being yelled at that there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors.”

“I really hope everyone made it out safely, since I’m tweeting this we made it out ok,” she wrote around 1:53 a.m. on Sunday.

Source: TEST FEED1

Husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrested for DUI in California

The husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was arrested late Saturday night for driving under the influence in Northern California.

A public booking report by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office lists Paul Pelosi as being arrested just before midnight on Saturday and booked early Sunday morning on charges of driving under the influence. The arrest was first reported by TMZ.

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for the Speaker, told The Hill in a statement that she was not with her husband at the time and would not be commenting on the matter.

Pelosi on Saturday afternoon was in Rhode Island, where she delivered a commencement address to Brown University graduates. Pelosi made no mention of the arrest in her remarks.

Pelosi’s husband was charged with driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher, according to the booking report. His bail was set at $5,000.

The Napa County Sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

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White House officials, Senate Republicans decline Sunday news show appearances to talk Texas school shooting

White House officials and Senate Republicans declined invitations to appear on Sunday news shows, coming days after the devastating shooting at a Texas elementary school left 19 children and two teachers dead.

On Sunday’s broadcast of “Face the Nation,” CBS’s Margaret Brennan said: “The White House did decline our invitation for a member of the administration to come on the show today saying they were leaving it up to Congress to act.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Chuck Todd said the network received a similar response to its invitation to all 50 GOP senators. 

“I should add, we asked each of the Senate’s 50 Republicans, every single one of them, to join us and none agreed on this weekend,” Todd said during his show on Sunday. 

Dana Bash said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the show “asked for a White House official to join us to talk about solutions this morning, but no one was made available,”  

“The governor and lieutenant governor of Texas and the state’s two U.S. senators also declined,” Bash added.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

After Tuesday’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, many Republican lawmakers have continued to focus on mental illness and have pitched upping security to harden schools against attacks.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) told reporters that targeting felons and fugitives and those with mental illness would be more effective than efforts “to restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.“

Speaking at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) annual conference on Friday, Cruz also suggested “not having unlocked doors to classroom, having one door that goes in and out of the school, having armed police officers at that one door.”

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said on Friday that local law enforcement leaders made the “wrong decision” by waiting over an hour to breach the classrooms that the shooter entered. 

On Sunday, President Biden traveled to Uvalde, where he was expected to meet with survivors, victims’ families, law enforcement and first responders involved in the brutal shooting. 

After a Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, someone in a crowd of onlookers yelled “Do something!” as the president left the church.

“We will,” Biden responded.

Since the shooting, Biden has called on Congress to act on legislation to address gun violence. 

“As a nation, we have to ask, when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden said on Tuesday evening just hours after the shooting. “I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage.” 

Source: TEST FEED1