Aug 27 Judge blocks Florida governor's order banning mask mandates By Terry Spencer, Curt Anderson, Associated Press Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper on Friday agreed with a group of parents who claimed in a lawsuit that Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on the mandates is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. Continue reading
Aug 27 House panel seeks records from tech companies in riot probe By Michael Balsamo, Associated Press The requests were issued Friday to technology giants, including Google, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. They also went to Reddit, Parler, Telegram, 4chan, 8kun and other platforms. Continue reading
Aug 27 Surgery by day, bedpans at night: Staffing shortages in Louisiana hospitals mean some workers pull double duties By Roby Chavez NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana hospitals are in a state of concern fueled by critical staff shortages and an astronomical number of new COVID-19 infections. The state, in which only 40% of residents are fully vaccinated, is averaging nearly… Continue reading
Aug 27 Arizona becomes 13th state to pass 1 million COVID-19 cases By Terry Tang, Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press "I don't think the human brain can process it," a longtime nurse said of Arizona hitting 1 millions cases and 18,600 deaths. "I don't think when you are an individual that you can fathom that number. It's incomprehensible."… Continue reading
Aug 27 Fed on track to slow aid for economy later this year, says Powell By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The Federal Reserve will start dialing back its ultra-low-rate policies this year as long as hiring continues to improve, Chair Jerome Powell said Friday. Continue reading
Aug 26 Supreme Court blocks Biden's temporary eviction ban By Mark Sherman, Associated Press “If a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must specifically authorize it,” the court wrote. Continue reading
Aug 26 U.S. closing troubled NYC jail where Epstein died by suicide By Michael R. Sisak, Michael Balsamo, Associated Press The federal Bureau of Prisons said the Metropolitan Correctional Center will be closed at least temporarily to address issues that have long plagued the facility, including lax security and crumbling infrastructure. Continue reading
Aug 26 Watch 6:53 Despite rise in delta cases, U.S. police forces pushback against vaccine mandates Following the full FDA approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, an increasing number of cities and states are now mandating vaccinations for their employees — or requiring them to get tested weekly. But there has been some intense pushback from law… Continue watching
Aug 26 Watch 9:12 Texas' homeless suffer due to lack of public housing as public camping is criminalized By Stephanie Sy, Frank Carlson Amid a housing affordability crisis, cities across the U.S. have been struggling with their unsheltered populations. Two years ago, Austin, Texas, decriminalized activities related to homelessness. But this year, citizens voted to re-criminalize them — as the state banned public… Continue watching
Aug 26 How uncertainty surrounding the eviction ban, rental assistance affects housing security By Courtney Vinopal Amid legal back-and-forth over the CDC's eviction moratorium, some landlords and tenants throughout the U.S. find themselves in a precarious financial situation. Continue reading