Category: News Daypop

An advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the Moderna COVID-19 booster shot for recipients over 18. In the first day of a two-day meeting to evaluate requests from both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to authorize their booster doses, the panel voted 19-0 to approve Moderna boosters beginning at least six months after completion of the initial two-dose regimen. On Friday, the committee will meet to evaluate the Johnson & Johnson booster dose, which is produced by subsidiary Janssen.

The authorization applies to people 65 years and older as well to those between 18 and 64 who are at high risk for the disease. Moderna officials said in a tweet: “We are grateful for the opportunity to present the clinical data package for our COVID-19 booster vaccine to the FDA’s advisory committee today. We thank the committee for their review & for their unanimous vote in support of EUA of the 50 [microgram] booster dose.”

Last month, the FDA approved a third shot of the vaccine made by Pfizer for people over 65, as well as recipients between 18 and 64 who are at high risk of severe illness and who face frequent institutional or occupational exposure to COVID-19. Almost 9 million people in the United States have received a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine over the past few weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The panel’s recommendations will have to be approved by the FDA and CDC before Americans could begin to receive the Moderna and Janssen boosters. The soonest the agencies could grant that approval is Oct. 22.

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A Colorado mail carrier was shot and killed Wednesday, the third deadly incident amid of rash of deadly shootings involving U.S. Postal Service workers in recent days. The Longmont Police Department responded to a shooting just after 12:30 p.m. at Heatherhill Street and Renaissance Driv. Wednesday’s deadly incident comes amid a rash of shootings involving postal workers. Two Memphis, Tenn., post office employees were shot and killed Tuesday by a co-worker who died from a self-inflicted gunshot, authorities said; and last week, a Pittsburgh-area postal worker was fatally shot.

Longmont Dep. Chief Jeff Satur told reporters that the letter carrier in Colorado was on his route when someone wearing all black fired multiple shots; when officers arrived, they found the USPS employee shot in front of neighborhood mailboxes. The employee died at the scene, and authorities did not say if the unidentified worker was targeted.

A male suspect wearing all black clothing and a blue mask was seen fleeing the scene on foot, Police Chief Satur said. He said investigators are following up on leads in the case, but declined to say what kind of weapon was used.

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The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it was launching a civil rights investigation into Texas’ juvenile justice facilities, over allegations of physical and sexual abuse against children there. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the Justice Department, in conjunction with local U.S. attorneys’ offices across Texas, was launching a pattern-or-practice probe into potential civil rights abuses at these correctional facilities. The investigation will span five secure correctional facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

Clarke said at a virtual news conference announcing the investigation: “State officials have a constitutional obligation to ensure reasonable safety for children in these institutions, and the Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights of children who end up in such facilities. No child who is sent to a Texas facility for treatment and rehabilitation should be subjected to violence and abuse nor denied basic services.”  Clarke said that investigators will look into the reported use of pepper spray and restraints against children, as well as allegations of improper or excessive physical force, the use of isolation in these facilities and the level of mental health services available to children there. Clark also said that in recent years at least 11 staff members had been arrested over allegations of sexually abusing children at these facilities.

The investigation comes as the Biden administration and government of Texas have feuded on an array of issues, most notably over abortion access, the influx of migrants attempting to cross the southern border and Covid-19 vaccination requirements. Clarke said that Texas officials had been formally notified of the probe, and that federal investigators intended to meet with their state counterparts as part of their examination of the treatment of youths in these facilities. Camille Cain, the executive director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, announced the agency would “cooperate fully“ with the Justice Department investigation, and said in a statement: “We all share the same goals for the youth in our care: providing for their safety, their effective rehabilitation, and the best chance for them to lead productive, fulfilling lives.”

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On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that New York state cannot impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on healthcare workers without allowing their employers to consider religious exemption requests. U.S. District Judge David Hurd in Albany, New York, ruled that the state’s workplace vaccination requirement conflicted with healthcare workers’ federally protected right to seek religious accommodations from their employers. Seventeen healthcare workers opposed to the mandate sued, saying the requirement violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution and a federal civil rights law requiring employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious beliefs. Hurd agreed, saying the state’s order “clearly” conflicted with their right to seek religious accommodations. Hurd issued a temporary restraining order on Sept. 14 in favor of the workers while he considered whether to issue a preliminary injunction.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul vowed in a statement to fight the decision, saying her “responsibility as governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that.” New York’s Department of Health on Aug. 26 ordered healthcare professionals to be vaccinated by Sept. 27 and the order did not allow for the customary religious exemptions.

At least 24 states have imposed vaccine requirements on workers, usually in healthcare. Vaccines have become highly politicized in the United States, where only 66% of Americans are vaccinated. Vaccine mandate opponents across the country are preparing to fight plans by President Joe Biden’s administration to extend COVID-19 inoculation requirements to tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans.

A medical examiner announced in a press conference Tuesday that Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who vanished on a road trip with her boyfriend and later turned up dead in Wyoming, was killed by strangulation. The full autopsy results come more than three weeks after her body was found in Grand Teton National Park, whose mysterious disappearance during a road trip with her fiancé sparked interest nationwide. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue announced on Sept. 21 that Petito died by homicide, but further findings about her cause of death were not disclosed until Tuesday.

Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, embarked on a cross-country journey in July, traveling from Florida to New York in their white Ford van, then heading west. Petito documented their adventures on her YouTube channel and planned to start a blog. However in late August, Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, stopped hearing from her while she was staying in Grand Teton National Park. More than two weeks after their last conversation, Schmidt learned that Laundrie had quietly returned to his parents’ Florida home without her daughter. Petito wasn’t reported missing until Sept. 11, 10 days after Laundrie allegedly arrived back in Florida. On Sept. 15, he was named a person of interest in his fiancée’s disappearance.

For the first several days of Petito’s missing person case, investigators tried unsuccessfully to speak with Laundrie and his parents; the family’s attorney instructed his clients not to speak. On Sept. 17, the Laundrie family spoke with the FBI for the first time, and investigators were informed that Laundrie himself had gone missing, launching a second missing persons case. As of press time, Laundrie has still not been located despite searches in a Florida wildlife preserve, where he is believed to have gone hiking on the day that he vanished. Authorities have yet to name a suspect in Petito’s disappearance and homicide.

A woman was charged with murder in Newburgh, New York after authorities alleged that she starved her boyfriend’s 7-year-old son to death this year. Leticia Bravo, 39, became the primary caretaker for the boy, Peter Cuacuas, in September 2020 after the school year began. Newburgh Police Commissioner Jose A. Gomerez said the child stayed at her home every day until Saturdays, when he want to his father’s apartment. In January of this year, Peter stopped logging into virtual school, and on Feb. 10 he was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police Commissioner Gomerez said: “An autopsy conducted by the Orange County medical examiner concluded that Peter — who weighed just 37 pounds — had died of malnutrition. It is alleged that Bravo left Peter locked and secluded in a bedroom behind doors, locked from the outside since January 2021.”  Bravo is believed to be Peter’s mother, but authorities were unable to confirm that information. She was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter. Authorities said that bail was set at $250,000 cash, but it would be reduced with secured bond; she faces 25 years to life in prison on the top charge of second-degree murder.

Peter’s father, Arturo Cuacuas, was charged with criminally negligent homicide. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Cuacuas was charged because although he had the child only one day a week, he “should have known” the conditions his son was in.”

At least two people were killed when a small plane crashed into a neighborhood near San Diego on Monday. The plane, a twin-engine Cessna C340, crashed into two homes in the neighborhood at around 12:15 p.m. The homes were severely damaged by the fire, with officials saying at least one, if not both, were likely completely destroyed.

The City of Santee Fire Department said on Facebook that multiple crews responded to an aircraft crash in the are of Greencastle and Jeremy, near Santana High School but said there was “no threat to the school.” Authorities confirmed the deaths and said they did not know how many people were on the plane but said they believe the injuries were “non survivable.”

San Diego Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donnell Evans said in a statement that the agency would release the tail number of the aircraft after investigators identify it at the crash site.  Said Evans, “The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates.”

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The space travel company Blue Origin said on Sunday that the flight set to send Star Trek actor William Shatner and other crew members was delayed until Wednesday due to weather concerns.  In a tweet Sunday afternoon, Blue Origin said the launch was now scheduled to take place at 8: 30 a.m. on Wednesday, due to “forecasted winds” in West Texas on Tuesday, when the launch was originally scheduled.

Founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, the aerospace company announced last week that Shatner, who played Capt. Kirk in the Star Trek television series from 1966-1969, would be part of its New Shepard NS-18 crew. The 90-year-old Shatner will make history as the oldest person in space — a title recently given to astronaut Wally Funk during a Blue Origin spaceflight in July. Shatner will be joined on the flight by Blue Origin executive Audrey Powers and crewmates Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries.

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Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights on Sunday, the second consecutive day of mass cancellations from the airline. The 1,044 flights represents 28% of its scheduled operations for the day, while also reporting 714 delays as of 6 p.m. Sunday evening.

Sunday’s cancellations came after the airline canceled 808 flights on Saturday, representing about a quarter of its daily operations. In a statement Saturday, Southwest said air traffic control issues and “disruptive weather” resulted in a “high volume of cancellations.” Southwest said in a follow-up statement on Sunday: “We’ve continued diligent work throughout the weekend to reset our operation with a focus on getting aircraft and crews repositioned to take care of our customers.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said there have not been any air traffic related cancellations since Friday and that airlines are experiencing delays due to aircraft and crews being out of place. Other major airlines did not appear to be severely impacted, with American Airlines and Spirit Airlines both canceling only 2% of flights.

Southwest has instituted a vaccine mandate for employees but the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, the union representing the company’s pilots, issued a statement saying it could “say with confidence that our pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions. Our pilots will continue to overcome SWA management’s poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges and remain the most productive pilots in the world. SWAPA pilots are true professionals and will always maintain the highest level of responsibility to their crews, their passengers, and our airline.”

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A report released Thursday said that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio improperly used his city-funded security detail for personal and political reason. A probe by New York City’s Department of Investigation also found that Howard Redmond — New York Police Department official who ran the mayor’s security detail — actively attempted to thwart the investigation into the misuse.

The agency’s report said de Blasio used the security detail like a “concierge service,” using it to drive his son and daughter without him. de Blasio also allegedly failed to reimburse the city $300,000 for using the security detail during his travel outside the city for his 2020 presidential run. DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said in the report: “Protecting the mayor and his family is a serious and significant job that should be guided by best practices, formalized procedures and an understanding that security details are not personal assistants in a dignitary’s daily life but provide essential protection.”

The DOI said De Blasio faces possible ethics violations; they also plan to refer Redmond’s case to the Manhattan district attorney’s office for consideration of criminal charges. Speaking during his daily news conference Thursday, de Blasio said the report was inaccurate and unprofessional: “Look, I’m honored to be the mayor of the city, but my first responsibility was as a father and a husband. And so, I think of the safety of my family all the time. The ultimate decisions when it comes to safety must be made by security experts. The ultimate decisions on how to align security, how to protect those chosen by the people to lead need to be made by the NYPD.”

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