“I’m going to go down fighting.” American Airlines employee fighting back against COVID-19 vaccine mandate just announced by company
Source: American Airlines employee speaks out against COVID-19 vaccine mandate
8 infant deaths spark recall of more than 3 million Boppy lounger pillows
Regulators announced the recall of an infant lounging pillow Thursday after it said the item was connected to multiple deaths in recent years.
The Boppy Company Newborn Lounger has been tied to at least eight infant deaths where a child was placed on the lounger and found suffocated on their side or on their stomach, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The deaths occurred between December 2015 and June 2020.
Robert S. Adler, the commission’s acting chairman, called the incidents “heartbreaking” in a statement Thursday.
“Since we know that infants sleep so much of the time — even in products not intended for sleep — and since suffocation can happen so quickly, these Boppy lounger products are simply too risky to remain on the market,” Adler said.
More than 3.3 million Boppy loungers have been sold across the U.S. and Canada, the commission said.
Source: 8 infant deaths spark recall of more than 3 million Boppy lounger pillows
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Ben Roethlisberger listed with pec injury heading into Week 3 vs. Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers have several injuries on defense as well, including T.J. Watt, Joe Haden, Devin Bush and Alex Highsmith.
Source: Ben Roethlisberger listed with pec injury heading into Week 3 vs. Bengals
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Biden slammed for measles outbreak among Afghan evacuees in U.S. | One America News Network
Critics have bashed the Biden administration for its latest mistake as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced several Afghan evacuees tested positive for a deadly disease inside the U.S. On Friday, Psaki confirmed an outbreak of measles cases among Afghan escapees has temporarily halted new flights from bringing more people into the U.S.
Critics have continued to slam the Biden administration for seemingly failing at every point in their botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Despite a measles vaccine being required for entry, Psaki said the cases still happened.
“Let me give you the information we have at this point, or I have I should say. Operation ‘Allies Welcome’ flights into the United States have been temporarily paused,” she announced. “…These individuals are being quarantined in accordance with public health guidelines and the CDC has begun full contact tracing. All arriving Afghans are currently required to be vaccinated for measles as a condition of entry into the United States.”
Meanwhile, Americans were still reportedly stranded in Afghanistan as the Biden administration called the Taliban “business-like and professional.”
Source: Biden slammed for measles outbreak among Afghan evacuees in U.S. | One America News Network
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Members of Congress and Their Staff Are Exempt From Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
The president’s executive orders apply to employees of the executive branch and federal government contractors.
Biden issued two executive orders on Thursday requiring vaccination against COVID for federal workers and contractors who work for the federal government. He also asked the Department of Labor to issue an emergency order requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested on a weekly basis.
However, Biden’s order on federal workers applies to employees of the executive branch. The House of Representatives and the Senate belong to the separate legislative branch, and the courts to the judicial branch of the federal government.
Source: Members of Congress and Their Staff Are Exempt From Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
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Biden plan for forced vaccinations doesn’t include illegal immigrants | Fox News
Biden announced a sweeping plan that could force millions of unvaccinated Americans to get the COVID-19 shot
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin,” Biden said of the roughly 80 million Americans who have yet to get the shot. “While America is in much better shape than it was seven months ago when I took office, I need to tell you a second fact: We’re in a tough stretch and it could last for awhile.”
But Biden stopped short of mandating the vaccine for illegal immigrants attempting to cross America’s border, even though about 30% of immigrants held at federal detention facilities are refusing to be vaccinated — and they have the option to refuseMeanwhile, more than 18% of migrant families who recently crossed the border tested positive for COVID before being released by Border Patrol. Another 20% of unaccompanied minors tested positive for the virus.
Source: Biden plan for forced vaccinations doesn’t include illegal immigrants | Fox News
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No major religious denomination opposes vaccination, but religious exemptions may still complicate mandates – CNN
(KHN)In Northern California, the pastor of a megachurch hands out religious exemption forms to the faithful. A New Mexico state senator will “help you articulate a religious exemption” by pointing to the decades-old use of aborted fetal cells in the development of some vaccines. And a Texas-based evangelist offers exemption letters to anyone — for a suggested “donation” starting at $25.
With workplace vaccine mandates in the offing, opponents are turning to a tried-and-true recourse for avoiding a covid-19 shot: the claim that vaccination interferes with religious beliefs.No major denomination opposes vaccination. Even the Christian Science Church, whose adherents rely largely on prayer rather than medicine, does not impose an official policy. It counsels “respect for public health authorities and conscientious obedience to the laws of the land, including those requiring vaccination.”
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Protests continue in Westmoreland County over state’s mask mandate in schools
DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Protests continued at multiple school districts in Westmoreland County Wednesday as dozens of students and parents voiced their frustrations over the state’s mask mandate in schools.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 spoke with the Derry Area School District about how the district is handling frustrated families.
“I understand that frustration,” Derry Area Assistant Superintendent Greg Ferencak said. “We started off with a masks optional, but highly recommended and now we have to switch and there’s some confusion.”
Ferencak said the district’s original health and safety plan called for a change in policy in the event of a state or federal mandate. A small group of students and parents protested the decision to mandate masks in Derry each of the last two days.
“We are trying to let the voices of the students be heard and trying to be reasonable with them,” Ferencak said.
Ferencak said a failure to comply with the mandate could come with consequences for the district, including a loss of funding.
“We could be held liable for not following them through various complaints, willful neglect of duty, you name it,” Ferencak said.
Source: Protests continue in Westmoreland County over state’s mask mandate in schools
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Biden announces new vaccine mandates that could cover 100 million Americans – CNNPolitics
(CNN)President Joe Biden on Thursday imposed stringent new vaccine rules on federal workers, large employers and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain the latest surge of Covid-19.
The new requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans — close to two-thirds of the American workforce — and amount to Biden’s strongest push yet to require vaccines for much of the country.“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden said, his tone hardening toward Americans who still refuse to receive a vaccine despite ample evidence of their safety and full approval of one — the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine — from the US Food and Drug Administration.He said vaccinated America was growing “frustrated” with the 80 million people who have not received shots and are fueling the spread of the virus. And he acknowledged the new steps would not provide a quick fix.“While America is in much better shape than it was seven months ago when I took office, I need to tell you a second fact: We’re in a tough stretch and it could last for awhile,” Biden said in an early evening speech from the White House.At the center of Biden’s new plan is directing the Labor Department to require all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week, an expansive step the President took after consultation with administration health officials and lawyers. Companies could face thousands of dollars in fines per employee if they don’t comply.Biden also signed an executive order requiring all government employees be vaccinated against Covid-19, with no option of being regularly tested to opt out. The President signed an accompanying order directing the same standard be applied to employees of contractors who do business with the federal government.He also said 300,000 educators in federal Head Start programs must be vaccinated and called on governors to require vaccinations for schoolteachers and staff.And Biden announced he would require the 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving funds from Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, expanding the mandate to hospitals, home care facilities and dialysis centers around the country.“We have the tools to combat the virus if we come together to use those tools,” Biden said at the outset of what was billed as a major speech to tackle the latest phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.The new rules amount to the most dramatic steps to date to get more Americans vaccinated. Once cautious of vaccine mandates, the Biden administration is now wholly embracing them as vaccine hesitancy persists among certain groups.Administration officials acknowledged the requirement for large employers could be challenged in court. But they said their hope was to provide cover of federal rules to businesses who want to require vaccines for employees.The new rules come as the Delta variant tears through communities across the country, causing upticks in hospitalizations and deaths particularly in areas where vaccination rates remain low.
Source: Biden announces new vaccine mandates that could cover 100 million Americans – CNNPolitics
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Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Signs Executive Order Allowing Fentanyl Test Strips – CBS Pittsburgh
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto signed an executive order Tuesday allowing the possession and use of fentanyl test strips.
The City of Pittsburgh is adopting a policy to not arrest people who have or distribute fentanyl test strips for harm reduction purposes.
The Mayor’s Office says fentanyl test strips have been proven to prevent overdoses by allowing users to identify the presence of fentanyl in drugs.
READ MORE:Nearly 100 Students At Oblock Junior High School Quarantining After COVID-19 Exposure
Pointing to a recent study from the City of Pittsburgh Office of Community Health and Safety, the Mayor’s Office says there’s been an increased presence of fentanyl in drugs like heroin, cocaine and meth in the greater Pittsburgh area.
“While fentanyl has been present in the heroin supply for several years in this region, there are increasing reports of other, non-opioid drugs that have been cut with or contaminated by fentanyl,” the report says.
MORE NEWS:Leaders In Allegheny County Applaud New School Mask Mandate
Peduto signed the order on Overdose Awareness Day.
Source: Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Signs Executive Order Allowing Fentanyl Test Strips – CBS Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh teachers ratify contract, greatly aiding PPS’s transportation plan | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BY ANDREW GOLDSTEIN
The Pittsburgh Public Schools district’s plan to open for in-person instruction five days a week got a major boost Monday as members of the city’s teachers union ratified a contract that includes a provision giving district officials the power to adjust school start and end times.
The issue became a flashpoint in negotiations as the district sought the ability to modify the times so that school buses could run extra routes in the morning and afternoon — providing transportation to thousands of city students who may have not had a ride to school otherwise — but the union initially fought back against the idea.
“We’re hopeful that the district is able to get many students back in their seats,” Nina Esposito-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, said in an interview at the union offices on the South Side. “This was a very difficult part of the contract, but we’re hoping to bring lots of students back, and that this will be something that we continue to work on together.”
The contract will now go before the school board Wednesday night for final approval.
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Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review Opinion
Joe Biden has badly, visibly bungled America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has compounded the problem with his sluggish and dishonest public statements. This has gone so badly that even people and institutions that are normally sympathetic to Biden and his party have noticed. American allies have been appalled, and vocal about it. What is slowly dawning on people is that Biden’s critics were right about him all along. Not since James Buchanan has America had a president who came so prepared by experience for the job, yet had so little clue how to do it. That reality will be shoved from consciousness soon enough by people with a professional stake in not acknowledging it, but a growing number of the American people are likely to remember. So will our allies and enemies around the world.
It was possible, if you did not look too closely, to construct a case on paper over the past year and a half for Joe Biden as an appropriate person to be president of the United States, commander in chief of its armed forces, and leader of the free world. Certainly, Biden did not lack for experience in high, national public office, exposing him to everything a man would need in order to be prepared for the job. He was a senator for 36 years, dating back to the closing days of the Vietnam War. He chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice, including during the post–9/11 era when Congress authorized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He served two terms as vice president. He traveled to war zones and met scores of foreign leaders. Biden was also a man who came up from humble means and was seasoned by personal tragedy. One could characterize his years in office as the record of a public servant who values important institutions, took many mainstream positions, and showed a willingness and ability to work with people across the aisle.
Source: Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review
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FDA links hundreds of dog deaths and severe illnesses to recalled pet food
The manufacturer behind dozens of popular pet food brands is recalling products amid safety problems.
The FDA has issued a statement confirming that 130 pets have died and hundreds more have fallen ill after eating food produced by Midwestern Pet Foods.
- For Immediate Release:
The following quote is attributed to Steven M. Solomon, M.P.H., D.V.M., director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine
“The FDA is dedicated to taking all steps possible to help pet owners have confidence that the food they buy for their animal companions is safe and wholesome. We are issuing this corporate-wide warning letter because inspections of Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.’s manufacturing plants revealed evidence of violations, which were shared across multiple plants and were associated with the illness or death of hundreds of pets who had eaten the company’s dry dog food. Samples of dog food were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin. It is imperative that manufacturers and distributors of pet foods understand their responsibility to comply with all requirements of federal law and FDA regulations and, when applicable, to implement a robust hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls program. We’ll continue to hold companies accountable and protect animal health as a core element of the FDA’s public health mission.”
Source: FDA links hundreds of dog deaths and severe illnesses to recalled pet food
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Dog Food Recall 2021: Simply Nourish Dog Food Recalled From PetSmart – Thrillist
Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company announced a recall of 51,000 packages of Simply Nourish frozen dog food sold at select PetSmart locations nationwide. The issue is elevated levels of vitamin D. The notice, shared by the FDA, says that “dogs ingesting elevated levels of vitamin D may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss.” Needless to say, you don’t want to take the risk and feed this to your pup.
Additionally, the recall states, consuming elevated levels of vitamin D “over a long period of time can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.” If your dog has eaten the recalled food and exhibits these symptoms, you should contact your vet.
Here’s a look at the specific products that are part of the recall. All were sold in two-pound and four-and-a-half-pound packages. You can find more details about the products on the FDA website.
- Simply Nourish Frozen Chicken & Veggies
- Simply Nourish Beef & Barley
- Simply Nourish Turkey & Sweet Potato
- Simply Nourish Pork & Veggies
You can return the packages to the place of purchase for a refund.
Source: Dog Food Recall 2021: Simply Nourish Dog Food Recalled From PetSmart – Thrillist
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New Zealand in lockdown over first COVID infection in 6 months
Jacinda Ardern announced that all New Zealand will be in the toughest, level-four lockdown for at least three days.
New Zealand was ordered into a strict nationwide lockdown Tuesday — after just one COVID-19 case was detected.
It was the first locally transmitted infection in the community in six months.
“The best thing we can do to get out of this as quickly as we can is to go hard,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a televised national address.
“We have seen what can happen elsewhere if we fail to get on top of it. We only get one chance,” she insisted.
Ardern announced that all New Zealand will be in the toughest, level-four lockdown for at least three days from Wednesday, with schools, offices and businesses closed and only essential services operational.
The biggest city, Auckland — where the unidentified 58-year-old man tested positive — would have a longer, seven-day lockdown, as would Coromandel, a coastal town where the infected person spent time.
Source: New Zealand in lockdown over first COVID infection in 6 months
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Biden filmed ‘ignoring’ Secret Service while entering White House | Daily Mail Online
- In Biden’s latest bizarre gaffe, the president was filmed returning to the White House after spending time in Wilmington, Delaware
- Secret Service agent points for him to follow the sidewalk path into White House
- Instead, Biden is seen following the agent up the lawn and through the gardening into the presidential estate
- The video has left shocked critics of the president once again surmising whether Biden is suffering the effects of cognitive decline
President Joe Biden was filmed seemingly ignoring the direction of a Secret Service agent tried to direct him to a path leading to the White House.
In Biden’s latest bizarre gaffe, the president was filmed returning to the White House after spending time in Wilmington, Delaware when the agent points for him to follow the sidewalk path into the White House.
Instead, Biden is seen following the agent up the lawn and through the garden into the presidential estate.
Source: Biden filmed ‘ignoring’ Secret Service while entering White House | Daily Mail Online
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Mother charged after young child found wandering in a diaper in Westmoreland County
The incident happened a little before 10 a.m. on July 7 on State Route 136 in Hempfield Township.
State police said they responded to check on the welfare of the child and found Carmen Riffer, 20, asleep in a nearby residence.Police said Riffer told them her 2-year-old daughter must not have woken her up.
Police said the young child found on the side of the road was dirty and had a full diaper.
Investigators also said the residence was covered in food waste and smelled of animal feces and decomposing garbage.
Riffer is charged with endangering the welfare of children and faces a preliminary hearing on Oct. 15.
Incident happened in July
Source: Mother charged after young child found wandering in a diaper in Westmoreland County
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Nearly 60,000 pounds of frozen raw chicken products sold at Aldi and other stores recalled – CNN
Serenade Foods is recalling nearly 60,000 pounds of frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products that could be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday.
Source: Nearly 60,000 pounds of frozen raw chicken products sold at Aldi and other stores recalled – CNN
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Twitter unlocks JTN reporter’s account after CDC said his COVID vaccine tweet was correct | Just The News
The tweet Tuesday night stated a well established medical fact – one backed by the CDC – that not everyone should be injected with vaccines.
Reporter Greg Piper tweeted “Vaccines are not safe for everyone.”
The post also linked to a report by the higher education news website the College Fix detailing Brigham Young University’s refusal to grant an exception to its vaccine mandate for a student with a potentially complicating medical condition.
Piper’s appended remark is backed up by CDC guidance, which stipulates that “some people should not get certain vaccines or should wait before getting them.”
Piper pointed out to Just the News that “every mandate has a medical exemption.”
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/should-not-vacc.html
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France: Thousands of protestors continue to demonstrate against COVID-19 health passes
The protests come after France’s highest court upheld the majority of a new law mandating the health pass and the vaccination of health-care workers.
Thousands of protesters flocked to the streets throughout France on Saturday, August 7, for the fourth weekend in a row to demonstrate against a new pandemic health permit that is required to access most establishments or use public transportation. The current round of demonstrations comes after France’s highest court upheld the majority of a new law mandating the health pass and the vaccination of healthcare professionals against the coronavirus. According to the court, the stipulations were in line with the nation’s founding charter.
As per a notification issued by the French government on July 29, residents were expected to “present a health pass to access leisure and culture venues and events bringing together more than 50 people.” The health cards will be required to enter pubs, restaurants, and shopping centres starting Monday, as well as for the long-distance travel by plane, rail, or bus.
President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for the pass, which requires confirmation of vaccination, a negative coronavirus test result within the last 48 hours, or proof of recovery from the virus for at least 15 days (but not more than six months).
Macron thinks that the new laws will encourage inhabitants to get vaccinated and prevent the spread of the fast-spreading Delta strain of the coronavirus as France approaches the “fourth wave” of the pandemic. According to polls, the majority of French citizens approve the health passes.
Source: France: Thousands of protestors continue to demonstrate against COVID-19 health passes
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Barack Obama’s Scaled-Down 60th Birthday Party Still Has Huge Tent
Barack Obama’s scaled-down 60th birthday bash still has huge tents on the property.
Barack Obama‘s 60th birthday bash looks like it would have been epic, if not for the damn Delta variant … just look at this massive tent where the party would’ve been held!!! As you can see, there’s a couple of temporary structures taking up tons of real estate at the Obamas’ sprawling property on Martha’s Vineyard … including the tents, which is where a reported 500 or so of his closest friends would have been celebrating. Oh, and about 200 staffers were lined up to serve the guests. Remember … Obama nixed the party at the last minute after struggling to make it COVID safe in the face of the surging Delta variant, on top of the CDC now saying vaccinated people can spread the virus as easily as non-vaccinated folks.
Source: Barack Obama’s Scaled-Down 60th Birthday Party Still Has Huge Tent
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Pittsburgh officials announce mask requirements for unvaccinated employees | TribLIVE.com
Pittsburgh officials announced that vaccination will be required for any new hires on Friday, a day after Allegheny County leaders announced a similar mandate for new county employees. In addition, any current employees who are not vaccinated will have to wear masks at all times inside city facilities. Officials said
Source: Pittsburgh officials announce mask requirements for unvaccinated employees | TribLIVE.com
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Canada is reopening to US tourists on Monday | CNN Travel
The Canadian government has prohibited Americans from taking nonessential trips there since March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But that will change on Monday, August 9, when Canada opens its borders once again to leisure travel from its southern neighbors.
In a news release issued July 19, the Public Health Agency of Canada said the loosening of these restrictions is taking place because of “rising vaccination rates and declining Covid-19 cases.”As of August 7, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention placed Canada at “Level 3: High” for Covid-19. Level 4 is the highest warning.
Source: Canada is reopening to US tourists on Monday: Your guide before you go | CNN Travel
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Postal Service Presses Forward With Plan To Slow Mail Delivery : NPR
New members of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors expressed concerns with the plan, but it’s moving ahead.
Two of the newly confirmed members of the U.S. Postal Service’s Board of Governors spoke out Friday against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plan to slow delivery of first-class mail.
But the board took no steps to stop or even modify the 10-year plan despite the concerns expressed by the board members and regulators.
Ronald Stroman, one of three new governors named by President Biden, said that intentionally slowing first-class mail and package delivery by changing service standards is “strategically ill-conceived, creates dangerous risks that are not justified by the relatively low financial return, and doesn’t meet our responsibility as an essential part of America’s critical infrastructure.”
Stroman, a former deputy postmaster general, noted at the Board of Governors open meeting that the country was “only beginning to emerge from a global pandemic” and is now struggling with the delta variant and that mail delivery was below pre-pandemic levels.
Source: Postal Service Presses Forward With Plan To Slow Mail Delivery : NPR
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Peek Into Fauci’s Closet Reveals Horrific Experiments on Beagles, Tests Left Dogs in Obvious Pain
A government watchdog investigation has uncovered evidence of animal abuse involving the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is led by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The agency used $424,455 in taxpayer dollars to support University of Georgia researchers who performed experimental drug tests on 28 beagles after infecting them with parasites, according to the Daily Caller.
Documents obtained by the White Coat Waste Project showed that some of the dogs “vocalized in pain” upon being injected with an experimental vaccine.
Source: Peek Into Fauci’s Closet Reveals Horrific Experiments on Beagles, Tests Left Dogs in Obvious Pain
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Dozens Of PPS Teachers Could Be Furloughed Soon – CBS Pittsburgh
Dozens of Pittsburgh Public School teachers could be furloughed in just a few weeks.
According to Pittsburgh Public, 33 teachers and one non-professional are impacted. The furloughs would start on Aug. 18, less than two weeks from now.
The district notified the 34 people by the first of the month. The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers said this has some feeling nervous.
“They have families, homes, mortgages, rents and things to pay,” Union Parliamentarian and Staff Representative Harold Grant said.
He said the notices went to teachers who started working in the district within the past couple of years.
“This is something that we would never want for anyone,” Grant said.
Source: Dozens Of PPS Teachers Could Be Furloughed Soon – CBS Pittsburgh
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CNN Fires Three Employees For Coming To Work Unvaccinated : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
NEW YORK — CNN has fired three employees who violated company policy by coming to work unvaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
CNN chief Jeff Zucker told staff members of the firing in a memo sent Thursday that reminded them that vaccines were mandatory if they report to the office or out in the field where they come into contact with other employees.
“Let me be clear — we have a zero tolerance policy on this,” wrote Zucker, chairman of news and sports for WarnerMedia.
The memo was obtained by The Associated Press after its contents were first tweeted by CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy. CNN offered no details on the firings, or where the employees were based.
Most of CNN’s offices are already open on a voluntary basis, and Zucker said more than a third of news staff members have returned. Proof of vaccination has been left to the honor system, he said, but that may change in coming weeks.
The CNN leader said that masks will be required in Atlanta, Washington and Los Angeles offices when people aren’t eating, drinking or in an enclosed private space. Even in offices where mask-wearing is not mandated, people should do what feels comfortable to them “without any fear of retaliation or judgment from co-workers,” he said.
The CNN memo also said a planned Sept. 7 company-wide return to the office will be delayed until at least early to mid-October.
Source: CNN Fires Three Employees For Coming To Work Unvaccinated : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
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Sydney suffers worst pandemic day as lockdown nears six weeks | Reuters
SYDNEY, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Sydney reported its worst day of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday with five deaths and a record rise in locally acquired infections as a weeks-long hard lockdown is struggling to contain the highly contagious Delta strain of the coronavirus.
Four of the five people that died were unvaccinated while one had one dose, New South Wales state health authorities said, as they implored residents to get inoculated as early as possible.
Authorities also announced a one-week lockdown from Thursday in the region surrounding the state’s second-largest city of Newcastle, 140 km (87 miles) north of Sydney, after six cases were reported there.
That will place an additional 615,000 people under lockdown, raising the total in New South Wales under strict stay-home restrictions to 6 million people out of 8 million in the state, or about a quarter of Australia’s population.
The authorities suspect the outbreak began with a beach party near Newcastle after people travelled from Sydney, an apparent violation of the city’s lockdown.
“Our strongest focus … is getting to the bottom of how the disease was transmitted and introduced into Newcastle,” New South Wales Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant told reporters, as most cases were still being detected in Sydney, the state capital and Australia’s largest city.
There were 259 new COVID-19 cases in Sydney, out of 262 in all of New South Wales, health authorities said, daily records for the city and the state, which reported a previous high of 239 on Sunday.
There have been more than 4,300 cases in New South Wales during the latest surge that began seven weeks ago after the first case of the Delta variant was detected in an unvaccinated, unmasked limousine driver who transported overseas airline crew.
Source: Sydney suffers worst pandemic day as lockdown nears six weeks | Reuters
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The Biden Administration Issues A New Eviction Moratorium After A Federal Ban Lapsed : NPR
After intense pressure from progressives, the CDC has announced a more limited eviction moratorium days after an earlier freeze on evictions expired.
Days after a national eviction moratorium expired, the Biden administration on Tuesday issued a new, more limited freeze that remains in effect through Oct. 3.
Like the previous order, the two-month moratorium issued Tuesday comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new ban on evictions covers parts of the United States that are experiencing what the CDC calls “substantial” and “high” spread of the coronavirus.
As of Tuesday afternoon, that’s the vast majority of U.S. counties.
The order, which cites the rise of the delta variant, says: “Without this Order, evictions in these [higher transmission] areas would likely exacerbate the increase in cases.”
“Where we are right now with such high disease rates, we felt a new, tailored order [was needed] to make sure that … working Americans who were at risk of eviction could be stably housed during this really tenuous, challenging period of time,” the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told NPR’s All Things Considered.
Source: The Biden Administration Issues A New Eviction Moratorium After A Federal Ban Lapsed : NPR
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Deadly fentanyl overdoses mount in Pittsburgh region | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
At least a dozen times this year, medical rescue workers in the county responded to four or more deadly overdoses in a single day, the vast majority involving fentanyl.
In the small working-class city of Clairton, at least six people have died this year in overdoses involving the drug — two on the same street, records show.
The rise in deaths has prompted public officials to call for efforts from law enforcement and other government agencies to battle the crisis, including the legalization in Pennsylvania of the distribution of fentanyl strips — a tool that can alert people to the presence of the drug.
Source: Deadly fentanyl overdoses mount in Pittsburgh region | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
