Month: December 2020

California has reported its first case of a more contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, and the second confirmed case in the U.S. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the case was confirmed in Southern California Wednesday afternoon.  During a Wednesday afternoon briefing, San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said a 30-year-old man in the county with no travel history tested positive for the new strain on Tuesday. “Because there is no travel history, we believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County,” Fletcher said. He urged residents to stay at home for New Year’s celebrations, citing the region’s already strained healthcare system.

Colorado reported the first known case of the variant in the U.S. on Tuesday and was investigating a second possible case Wednesday. Both of the cases are National Guard soldiers who were deployed to support staffing at a nursing home in Simla, Colorado, outside Denver, state health officials said.

Scientists in the United Kingdom said the variant strain, known as B.1.1.7, is more contagious than previously identified strains but not more severe. According to models, it has an increased transmission rate of 70% compared with other variants.

California reports case of highly infectious COVID-19 strain

Via www.cbsnews.com

Two states have reported cases of a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that was first…

12/30/2020 9:02 PM

 

$600 stimulus payments have started going out, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says

Via www.msn.com

The deposits started even as some senators tried to pass a bill that would increase stimulus…

12/30/2020 5:29 PM

 

Editorial credit: marekuliasz / Shutterstock.com

The U.S. Justice Department have declined to charge the Cleveland officers involved in the fatal 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice, and have closed its investigation.  An independent federal investigation into the Nov. 22, 2014, shooting of the 12-year-old Black boy seen playing with a toy gun at a park “found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges against Cleveland Division of Police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback,” accordimg to a statement from the DOJ. The statement added that Rice’s family attorneys were notified of the decision and were also sent a letter “explaining the findings of the investigation and reasons for the decision.”

Rice was shot twice after officers responded to a 911 call reporting a male who was “probably a juvenile” pointing a “probably fake” gun at people in a playground at Cudell Park Recreation Center. Rice died in a hospital the next day.

In 2015, an Ohio grand jury did not pursue charges against Officers Loehmann and Garmback. Loehmann was fired in 2017 due to inaccuracies in his application form and Garmback was suspended for 10 days for violating a tactical rule by driving too close to Rice on the day of the shooting.

No federal charges for officers in 2014 fatal shooting of Tamir Rice, DOJ says

Via www.nbcnews.com

12/29/2020 5:40 PM

 

Defying Trump, McConnell delays vote on $2,000 checks, urges Senate to override defense veto

Via www.reuters.com

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday put off a vote on President Donald…

12/29/2020 8:20 PM

 

Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com

On Monday, the House approved giving Americans $2,000 stimulus checks, increasing payments from the $600 checks that were set to be given out as part of a COVID-19 relief package that President Donald Trump signed into law Sunday evening.

The bill passed in a 275 – 134 vote, needing the support of two-thirds of House members present. The measure will now head to the Senate where its future remains unclear. Senate Republicans have for months stressed over increased government spending and are likely to oppose the measure despite Trump’s demands.

The boosted checks were a direct demand from Trump, one of several policy items that led the president to heavily criticize the package — despite his own administration negotiating the legislation with Congress as part of a large government spending package. He called the legislation a “disgrace” and the delay in signing the legislation resulted in expanded unemployment insurance expiring for millions of unemployed Americans, delaying their next check. Trump ended up signing the $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, which was attached to a $1.4 trillion government spending bill, Sunday evening to avert a government shutdown.

Trump-Biden transition live updates: House approves boosting stimulus checks to $2K

Via abcnews.go.com

President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe…

12/28/2020 6:34 PM

On Monday, a federal judge denied bail to Ghislaine Maxwell for a second time. Maxwell is the British socialite facing charges of acting as an accomplice of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Alison Nathan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York again ruled that Maxwell, 59, poses a flight risk, citing the severity of the charges she faces. In July, Nathan first denied her bail, siding with prosecutors who said that her wealth and dozens of overseas bank accounts make her an “extreme” flight risk.

Earlier this month, Maxwell’s attorneys proposed a $28.5 million bail package secured with $8 million in property and $500,000 in cash. Additionally, Maxwell’s relatives and friends have agreed to give an additional $5 million.

Maxwell pleaded not guilty to eight counts related to accusations that she helped Epstein sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls as young as 14 from 1994 to 1997. The charges include conspiracy, perjury, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sexual acts and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

If convicted, Maxwell faces up to 35 years in prison. She is set to stand trial in July.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s $28.5m bail package rejected by judge

Via www.msn.com

A federal judge has denied Ghislaine Maxwell a proposed $28.5m bail package after ruling she was…

12/28/2020 3:57 PM