Wednesday, August 11 top stories
It is Wednesday, August 11. Here are today’s top stories.
Reuters reported that school districts in Florida and Texas are rebelling against their state governors’ ban on requiring masks for children and teachers. Several large school districts in Florida and Texas still issued mask requirements.
President Joe Biden has intervened by saying he would consider supporting the school districts financially if the governors of Florida and Texas withhold funds from administrators’ salaries.
School officials who issue mask requirements say they are doing it to protect students younger than 12 because they cannot get vaccinated.
The governors of Florida and Texas say parents, not the government, should make the decision whether to mask their children or not.
YouTube suspended Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) for a week after he uploaded a video saying cloth masks don’t work and that most over-the-counter masks don’t prevent infection. YouTube said the senator’s comments violated its Covid-19 medical misinformation rules.
The CDC and doctors have said masks help with reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
Senator Paul said YouTube committed a very dangerous kind of censorship.
Kentucky Gov. Andrew Beshear (D) announced he is issuing an executive order to mandate masks for all school districts in the state. His order says all teachers, staff, students and visitors must cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Beshear said he is concerned about the Delta variant. He said some schools have already had outbreaks.
There are several organizations in Kentucky that are opposed to the idea of mask requirements. Some parents say they feel like they are being bullied.
Local 10 News in Florida said documents show that the state of Florida requested 300 ventilators from the federal government. Florida officials made the request due to a spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. There are over 13,000 people hospitalized due to Covid-19 infection.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is unaware about the order and would have to check.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is requiring all teachers and school staff in the state to have proof of Covid-19 vaccination or undergo weekly testing. California is the first state in the U.S. to issue a school staff vaccination order.
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
[Advertisement from Deaf Resorts] Book today with $99 down and start a monthly payment plan for your next vacation. Go online: www.DeafResorts.com to make a reservation!
[Advertisement from Landmark Theatres] See CODA on the big screen at Landmark Theatres around the country starting August 13. www.landmarktheatres.com
On Sunday, a Black real estate agent in Michigan was showing a home to a Black client and his 15-year-old son when they were confronted by multiple police officers with guns drawn because they were suspected of being bulgars.
Body camera videos show officers ordering the agent and clients to keep their hands up and walk backwards. They were handcuffed and placed in a patrol car. When officers realized that the group was looking to buy a home, they let them go and apologized.
The realtor Eric Brown said he feared for his life. He said in a news interview that he and his clients were racially profiled. He said the 15-year-old son of the client was terrified and traumatized.
Police in the city, named Wyoming, said their officers acted appropriately with race having no role in it. They explained that a neighbor who called them thought Brown was the same man who was detained a week earlier on suspicion of breaking into the home.
Today the CDC recommended that those who are pregnant get the Covid-19 vaccine. The Washington Post explained that the CDC was previously neutral on whether vaccines were safe for pregnant people. The CDC said studies show that there is no increased risk of miscarriage among those who have been immunized. No increase in risk. The CDC said they also recommend those who are breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant to get the vaccine. In the U.S., only 23% of pregnant people have received at least one shot of the vaccine. That’s a very low percentage.
Two medical organizations focusing on women or children’s health recently said pregnant individuals are at increased risk of severe Covid-19 infection and death, so the best way to protect themselves during the pandemic is to be vaccinated.
CBS News reported that officials at Wesleyan College West Virginia announced that the school would impose a $750 fine against students if they show up to campus unvaccinated or without proof of vaccination. The fine is nonrefundable.
The school also said if students contract the virus during the fall semester, they will be given 48 hours to go home or face a $250 fee to quarantine on campus. School officials said the fees will cover expenses associated with testing and other safety plans.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.wkyt.com/2021/08/10/watch-live-gov-beshear-gives-update-covid-19/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/us/california-teachers-vaccine-mandate.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/08/11/pregnant-covid-vaccine/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-wesleyan-college-covid-vaccine-unvaccinated-charge-750/