The state of Washington this month turned away local county officials who offered to help clear away snow because they might not be unvaccinated.
After a &#8220;significant snowfall&#8221; in Kittitas County earlier this month around Jan. 5 and 6, county officials reached out to the Washington state transportation department on Tuesday offering to help clear the snow from state roadways.
The snowfall had caused the closure of two major highways, Interstate 90 and HWY 97 for three days, disrupting travel and the supply chain into Kittitas County. Freight deliveries were delayed, and access to services was &#8220;significantly impacted,&#8221; Kittitas County officials said
However, their help was rejected because Kittitas County does not have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for county employees, so there was a chance that some of the workers who came to help the state clear the snow could be unvaccinated.
&#8220;Washington State informed Kittitas County they could not accept this assistance due to Kittitas County not mandating the COVID-19 vaccination for County employees. The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners is extremely disappointed with the States’ position to refuse assistance,&#8221; Kittitas County officials said in a press <a href="https://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/press/default.aspx?prID=11800">release</a> Wednesday.
The officials said that in October, Washington state dismissed all unvaccinated state employees, which resulted in 48 state employees no longer working on snow removal efforts in Kittitas County.
In November, Kittitas County signed an agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation at the request of the department, which cited reduced staffing issues.
County officials panned the state&#8217;s decision to reject their help and called for ideologies to be put aside to get the job done.
“During these times, we need to be able to put differences aside and work to support one another,” Kittitas County Commissioner Laura Osiadacz said in the press release. “It needs to be neighbors helping neighbors and lending a hand to get the work done.”
“This county is ready, as always, to put all hands on deck to solve this problem. It’s time for logic and leadership to overcome ideology and allow skilled equipment operators working alone in their cabs to get this job done,” Commissioner Cory Wright said.
Commissioner Brett Wachsmith said in the press release that so far, an agreement on snow clearing has been reached with the state.
“I’m extremely proud of the work being done by our Public Works Department to be able to clear roads and be in a place to be able to lend a helping hand to the State,&#8221; Wachsmith said. &#8220;It is unfortunate given the circumstances an agreement could not have come to fruition because we all want what is best for our community.”
Many places, especially major cities, are tightening their vaccine policies as the newest coronavirus variant, Omicron, spreads rapidly across the country.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration&#8217;s nationwide vaccine mandate for large employers was blocked on Thursday in a significant blow to the administration&#8217;s COVID-19 response.
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US-WEATHER-STORM-CALIFORNIA

Washington State Turns Away Unvaccinated County Workers Offering To Help Clear Snow

COVID-19

Vaccine Mandate

Washington

An Illinois school district is defending an elementary school hosting a &#8220;Satan club&#8221; after the strange extracurricular activity prompted outrage from parents.
The “After School Satan Club” is sponsored by the Satanic Temple of the United States, which says the clubs are a response to the Christian Good News Clubs at public schools across the country.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=425284622718774&amp;set=a.101037468476826">Flyers</a> for the club were displayed in the lobby of the Jane Addams Elementary School in Moline, and a photo of the flyer later circulated on Facebook.
The flyer said the Satan club would include science projects, puzzles, games, arts and crafts projects, and nature activities and promised to teach kids benevolence, empathy, critical thinking, problem solving, creative expression, and &#8220;personal sovereignty.&#8221;
The club was advertised for first grade to fifth grade children, regardless of religious background. It was scheduled to hold the first meeting on Thursday of this week, with four other meetings to follow.
At the bottom of the flyer was a permission slip for parents to fill out if they want their child to attend the after school club. The flyer also included a disclaimer of sorts from the school saying it cannot discriminate against groups that want to distribute flyers and encouraging parents to &#8220;assist their children in making choices appropriate for them.&#8221;
It added, &#8220;This is not an activity of the school or the School District.&#8221;
The Satanic Temple claims that the purpose of the clubs is not to convert children to Satanism.
&#8220;While the classes are designed to promote intellectual and emotional development in accordance with TST&#8217;s tenets, no proselytization or religious instruction takes place,&#8221; The Satanic Temple <a href="https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan">states</a> on its website.
&#8220;Proselytization is not our goal, and we’re not interested in converting children to Satanism. After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us,&#8221; the organization adds. &#8220;We prefer to give children an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding them, not a fear of everlasting other-worldly horrors.&#8221;
The Satanic Temple describes itself as a &#8220;non-theistic religion that views Satan as a mythical figure representing individual freedom.&#8221;
The flyer for the Satan club also claimed that the club would be run by volunteer teachers. Following pushback from parents, Rachel Savage, superintendent of Moline-Coal Valley Schools, issued a response to their concerns.
&#8220;No teachers from Jane Addams, or any other district teacher, is involved,&#8221; Savage wrote in a public <a href="https://www.molineschools.org/apps/news/article/1552392">letter</a> to parents.
Savage said that a parent in the district reached out to the Satanic Temple and told them that Jane Addams offers a child evangelism fellowship club and asked to bring the After School Satan Club to the school.
&#8220;Since we have allowed religious entities to rent our facilities after school hours, we are not permitted to discriminate against different religious viewpoints,&#8221; Savage explained, adding that to illegally deny the Satanic Temple &#8220;subjects the district to a discrimination lawsuit, which we will not win.&#8221;
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US-religion-SATAN

Illinois School District Defends ‘After-School Satan Club’ For Elementary Kids

Illinois

Public Schools

Religion

The Food and Drug Administration wants health care providers to consider a patient&#8217;s race when deciding whether to administer COVID-19 drugs to them, the agency said in a fact sheet.
An FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/149534/download">fact sheet</a> discussing the emergency use authorization of the drug sotrovimab for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases listed conditions that place people at higher risk for developing severe COVID-19.
Among the conditions listed is being 65 or older, pregnancy, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular disease, or neurodevelopmental disorders like cerebral palsy, the agency wrote.
&#8220;Race or ethnicity&#8221; may also put someone at higher risk for severe COVID-19, too, the fact sheet added.
&#8220;Other medical conditions or factors (for example, race or ethnicity) may also place individual patients at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, and authorization of sotrovimab under the EUA is not limited to the medical conditions or factors listed above,&#8221; the FDA stated.
The FDA is not the only government entity to direct health care providers to factor in someone&#8217;s race in distributing COVID-19 care.
At least three states — New York, Minnesota, and Utah — have released similar guidance at the state level about considering race as an indicator of the risk of severe COVID.
In December, the New York health department released guidance saying that only COVID-19 patients who met certain criteria were eligible to receive monoclonal antibodies and oral antiviral treatment. Race was listed as one of the factors that increases a person&#8217;s risk for severe illness and should be taken into account.
&#8220;Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19,&#8221; New York&#8217;s health department stated in official guidance.
Utah health officials use a point system to calculate a COVID-19 patient&#8217;s “risk score” to determine whether to administer monoclonal antibody treatment.
Being of &#8220;Non-White race or Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity&#8221; bumps a patient&#8217;s risk score up two points, the same amount the score is raised when a patient has a &#8220;highest-risk comorbidity&#8221; such as diabetes, obesity, or being severely immunocompromised.
“Risk factors for hospitalization and mortality are now well-recognized and include age, cumulative comorbidities, male gender, shortness of breath, and importantly, but for reasons not well-understood, non-white race/ethnicity,” reads Utah&#8217;s state <a href="https://coronavirus-download.utah.gov/Health/Utah_CSC_Monoclonal_Ab_Guidelines_v16_09012021.pdf">guidelines</a> on administering monoclonal antibody treatment.
The Minnesota health department cited the FDA in state <a href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/mabethical.pdf">guidance</a> saying health care providers may consider &#8220;whether a patient has heightened risk of progression to severe COVID-19 associated with race and ethnicity&#8221; when determining eligibility for monoclonal antibodies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has echoed the FDA, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html">saying</a> &#8220;COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.&#8221;
The new FDA guidelines were met with criticism from Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and former Housing and Urban Development secretary in the Trump administration. Carson said the guidance reminded him of the racial discrimination he endured as a child.
&#8220;Here we are trying to bring it back. It&#8217;s unbelievable,&#8221; Carson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/dr-ben-carson-recalls-racial-discrimination-of-his-youth-in-response-to-biden-covid-treatment-policy">said</a> on Fox News.
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In this photo illustration, Covid-19 written with pills seen

FDA Says To Consider Race When Administering COVID-19 Drugs

Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a former member of President Biden&#8217;s COVID-19 task force, said Sunday that remote schooling for U.S. children has been “a failure across the country.”
CNN&#8217;s Jim Acosta asked Emanuel during an appearance on the network what his advice to the Biden administration would be on whether schools should remain open or shut again due to the pandemic.
“I agree with Mayor Lightfoot that kids have to be in school, and we know that virtual learning did not work. It was a failure across the country and we kept kids out way too long,” Emanuel told Acosta on CNN.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot&#8217;s recently remarked that, &#8220;Our kids need to be back in school. Schools are safe.&#8221; The Chicago Teachers Union voted to return to remote learning, but the Chicago Public Schools system canceled classes, saying the district wants to continue in-person learning.
&#8220;What do we have to do? Teachers have to be fully vaccinated and get boosted. Children who can be vaccinated have to be vaccinated,&#8221; said Emanuel, who is the Vice Provost of Global Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania.
Emanuel suggested that schools can adopt safety measures like air purifiers in classrooms and using high-quality masks to mitigate the spread and stay open.
&#8220;There are billions of dollars available for the federal government to improve and upgrade schools,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We know virtual learning for kids in first grade and above is not very effective for them, and we lose many kids,&#8221; Emanuel emphasized. &#8220;So I think we have to prioritize in-person learning and put the safety measures we know work to reduce transmission to work there.&#8221;
The former Biden advisor added that prioritizing football games over keeping schools open seems &#8220;upside-down&#8221; to him.
&#8220;I do think that we have our priorities upside-down when we think dining in restaurants, going to football games, going to basketball games are more important than having schools open. That just seems upside-down in this country,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;Alright, hopefully we&#8217;ll get right-side up at some point,&#8221; Acosta responded.
Teachers unions and union members in several cities including Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco are pressuring their school districts to return to remote learning.
Meanwhile, some schools across the country either delayed returning to in-person classes after winter break or returned to remote learning for now due to COVID-19 concerns, including Washington DC, Seattle, and Milwaukee.
Chicago Teachers Union CTU President Jesse Sharkey called Lightfoot &#8220;relentlessly stupid&#8221; for trying to force teachers to continue teaching in person.
&#8220;We are asking for some basic common sense safety measures. We want a metric when the majority of the classes are on quarantine. We don&#8217;t have the reassurance we need to restart school,&#8221; Sharkey <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-teachers-union-boss-calls-lightfoot-relentlessly-stupid-for-trying-to-reopen-schools">said</a>.
In San Francisco, the teacher’s union is demanding 10 paid sick days for all COVID-19 related reasons and that the school district provide two N95 or KN95 masks for every student and employee every day.
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New York City School Children Return To In-Person Classes

Former Biden Covid Task Force Member Calls Remote School A ‘Failure’: ‘We Kept Kids Out Way Too Long’

Education

Jim Acosta

Joe Biden

Remote Learning

At least two home buying sites have eschewed including crime maps for neighborhoods on their websites over concerns that the crime data available is biased against minorities.
Realtor.com and Redfin both announced on the same day in December that they will no longer provide crime data for neighborhoods on their websites over racial bias concerns.
On December 13, Realtor.com&#8217;s CEO David Doctorow wrote in a blog <a href="https://www.realtor.com/homemade/an-invitation-to-the-industry-address-fair-housing-together/">post</a> that the company has been working to &#8220;break down those hurdles&#8221; relating to discrimination in home ownership.
&#8220;For example, earlier this month, we removed the crime map layer from all search results on Realtor.com to rethink the safety information we share on Realtor.com and how we can best integrate it as part of a consumer’s home search experience,&#8221; Doctorow wrote.
Doctorow added that Realtor.com will now &#8220;reimagine&#8221; how to provide safety data for buyers.
&#8220;In the weeks and months ahead, we plan to examine closely what neighborhood safety means for buyers and renters who use our site so we can reimagine how we integrate safety data on Realtor.com. Our goal is to ensure we are providing consumers with the most valuable, fair and accurate neighborhood data so they can make informed decisions about where they want to rent or purchase their next home,&#8221; the Realtor.com CEO added.
The company does not have anything further to share at this point beyond the initial blog post announcing the crime map would be removed, Stephanie Singer, Realtor.com&#8217;s senior director of corporate communications, told The Daily Wire.
Redfin said the company recently decided not to add crime data to its real estate buying website because doing so could reinforce racial bias.
Christian Taubman, Redfin&#8217;s chief growth officer, wrote in a December 13 blog <a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/neighborhood-crime-data-doesnt-belong-on-real-estate-sites/">post</a> that Redfin is aware people want to know &#8220;whether they’ll feel safe in a given home or neighborhood,&#8221; but &#8220;the data available don’t allow us to speak accurately to that question, and given the long history of redlining and racist housing covenants in the United States there’s too great a risk of this inaccuracy reinforcing racial bias.&#8221;
&#8220;We believe that Redfin–and all real estate sites–should not show neighborhood crime data,&#8221; Taubman wrote.
Taubman said Redfin considered using data from both the FBI&#8217;s Uniform Crime Report and the National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, but both of those data sources had issues, such as missing, unreported crimes.
&#8220;In the 2019 survey, people reporting crimes were more likely to describe their offender as young, male, and Black than would be expected given the representation of those groups in the population,&#8221; Taubman explained.
Redfin will continue to add more data to its site, but &#8220;in this case we’re confident that the crime data that are available today ought not to be on Redfin or any other real estate site,&#8221; Taubman wrote.
Both Realtor.com and Redfin <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/381468/most-popular-real-estate-websites-by-monthly-visits-usa/">rank</a> in the five most trafficked real estate websites in the U.S. as of October.
</div>
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Suffolk County, New York policeman stands in front of crime scene on Long Island

Real Estate Websites Remove Crime Data Citing ‘Racial Bias’

Crime

Racial Bias

Real estate

A judge on Friday sentenced the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery.
Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced both Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Walmsley sentenced their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was fatally shot in Glynn County, Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020, as he was walking through the Satilla Shores neighborhood.
During the trial, the jury watched video of Arbery roaming around a vacant property with a house under construction. In the moments after Arbery left the property, he was chased by three white male residents of the neighborhood. Travis McMichael, 35, and his father Gregory McMichael, 66, armed themselves with guns and pursued Arbery in a pickup truck after he ran past their yard, which was several houses down from the unfinished property. Bryan, 52, followed Arbery in another car. Arbery then had a confrontation with Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery as he ran in front of the pickup truck.
All three men were charged with murder and convicted on November 24.
Both McMichaels were found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and with a pickup truck, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Travis McMichael was also found guilty of malice murder, but his father was found not guilty on that charge.
Bryan was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault with a pickup truck, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony. The jury found Bryan also not guilty of malice murder.
Before the sentencing, the judge remarked that he found the part of the video of the shooting that showed Travis McMichael lifting the shotgun to kill Arbery &#8220;absolutely chilling.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve read somewhere, and I don&#8217;t remember where it was, that at a minimum, Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s death should force us to consider expanding our definition of what a neighbor may be and how we treat them,&#8221; Walmsley said. &#8220;I argue that maybe a neighbor is more than the people who just own property around your house. I believe that assuming the worst in others we show our worst character.&#8221;
Arbery&#8217;s murder along with the killing of George Floyd and several other incidents of violence against African Americans contributed to sparking the racial justice protests, uprisings, and riots that erupted across the country in the summer of 2020.
Prosecutors were seeking life without parole for the McMichaels and life with the possibility of parole for Bryan.
The three men argued during the trial that they were chasing Arbery to make a citizen’s arrest following several break-ins that had recently occurred in the area. Gregory McMichael told police that his son shot Arbery in self-defense after Arbery attempted to attack Travis McMichael.
The attorney for Gregory McMichael argued Friday that her client is a “man of goodness” who &#8220;never wanted another person to die.&#8221;
&#8220;If life without parole is a sentence that is held for only the worst of the worst, it simply can’t be a sentence for a person who never intended that tragic result that took place on Feb. 23,” attorney Laura Hogue told the judge.
Arbery&#8217;s mother&#8217;s attorney said Friday that prosecutors had asked her whether she would accept a plea deal for her son&#8217;s killers, and she declined.
The plea deal would have put the three men behind bars in federal prison for 30 years in addition to whatever additional prison time the state judge ordered Friday.
“These men have chose to lie and attack my son and his surviving family. They each have no remorse and do not deserve any leniency,&#8221; Wanda Cooper-Jones said Friday in her victim impact statement.
Arbery&#8217;s father, Marcus Arbery, also spoke Friday at the sentencing hearing and shared some of his heartbreak with the court.
&#8220;You know something that just does not sit right with me at this time? The man who killed my son has sat in this courtroom every single day next to his father. I&#8217;ll never get that chance to sit next to my son ever again — not at the dinner table, not at the holidays and not at a wedding,&#8221; he said Friday.
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Lawyers Give Closing Arguments In Trial Of Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers

Men Convicted Of Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder Sentenced

Ahmaud Arbery

Georgia

The chief of the Capitol Police said Sunday that the force is still 400 officers short as it prepares for the anniversary of the January 6 riot that took place last year.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the force has addressed many issues this year but has struggled to maintain its numbers as the force hemorrhaged officers following the events of January 6.
&#8220;The one thing that we have not been able to fix, so to speak, are the staffing issues and we&#8217;ve lost over 130 officers that have left through either retirements or resignations after January 6,&#8221; Manger <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-capitol-police-officer-shortage-jan-6">told</a> host Trace Gallagher on “Fox News Sunday.”
Meanwhile, the pandemic shut down the National Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy for 10 months in 2020, hindering the Capitol Police&#8217;s ability to train new officers, Manger said.
&#8220;Between not being able to put any academy classes through the prior year, with the attrition, the way it&#8217;s been over the past year, we&#8217;re now really about 400 officers short of where we need to be and that&#8217;s a pretty critical issue for us,&#8221; Manger said.
Manger came out of retirement to begin leading the force in July, six months after the Capitol riot. The previous Capitol Police leadership was ousted after the riot amid criticism for their failure to protect the buildings inside which legislators were voting to certify the results of the 2020 election.
Since he took the helm, the Capitol Police has attempted to address some of the issues that were blamed for January 6. That includes new equipment for officers, expanding training sessions with the National Guard, and better mental health services for officers among other improvements.
&#8220;The fact that we have the authority to call out the National Guard, the fact that we have formal processes in place to get additional resources from area law enforcement agencies, is a big improvement, and we believe it would have prevented something like January 6 from happening,&#8221; the chief said.
Manger also described his personal experience watching the Capitol riot unfold, saying that he was particularly upset watching the assaults against police.
“As I was watching the events on the sixth, very emotional day, alternately just angry, just horrified by the assaults that were going on against police officers there,” Manger said.
Manger previously said that the effects of the Capitol riot went well beyond the physical damage to the building.
“I think that the damage that was done on Jan. 6 was not just the physical damage to the Capitol itself. It was not just the harm, the injuries, the deaths that occurred to the men and women of the Capitol Police Department, to the demonstrators, to the folks that were on the Capitol grounds that day,” Manger told the Associated Press in September. “The damage went beyond that. It went to where it damaged, I think, the confidence of the American public that the Capitol could be adequately protected.”
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Washington DC Tense After U.S. Capitol Is Stormed By Protestors

Capitol Police Chief Says Force Is Still 400 Officers Short Ahead Of Jan. 6 Anniversary

Capitol Police

Capitol Riot

A woman decided to self-isolate in an airplane bathroom for hours after she tested positive for COVID-19 during her flight to visit her family for Christmas.
The woman filmed a TikTok of herself in the bathroom as she waited for the plane to land, which has now gone viral and garnered more than four million views on the TikTok app.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Marisa Fotieo found out she had COVID-19 midflight. She spent hours isolated in the plane’s bathroom and recorded the experience on TikTok. <a href="https://t.co/PPKsEEOAAR">pic.twitter.com/PPKsEEOAAR</a>
&mdash; AJ+ (@ajplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1476961902949548041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Marisa Fotieo, a schoolteacher in Chicago, was about an hour into her flight from Chicago to Switzerland to visit her family for Christmas when she said she suddenly developed a &#8220;severe sore throat&#8221; that made her suspicious she might have COVID.
She had a rapid COVID test with her, so decided to go ahead and take it.
“I thought, okay, I’m just going to take a test. It’s going to make me feel better,” Fotieo said in a CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/icelandair-covid-passenger-quarantines-trnd/index.html">interview</a> she did from quarantine.
However, the test was positive, even though Fotieo is vaccinated and boosted.
Fotieo was concerned for the other passengers, including her 70-year-old father who was flying with her, so she decided to voluntarily self-isolate in the plane&#8217;s bathroom.
She told a flight attendant, who initially tried to see if she could move passengers around on the flight so Fotieo could social distance from them, but the flight was too full. The flight attendant then asked Fotieo if she would be willing to isolate in the bathroom for the rest of the flight, and Fotieo agreed to do so.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure if I had said no, can I please go back to my seat, she would have said yes, but I was too nervous. There were so many people on the flight,&#8221; Fotieo said.
She remained isolated in the bathroom for about three more hours until the plane landed.
While isolated, Fotieo filmed a TikTok of herself in the aircraft&#8217;s bathroom with the words, &#8220;you test positive for COVID while over the Atlantic ocean.&#8221;
“Shout out to Icelandair for my VIP quarantine quarters,” she captioned the TikTok video.
The IcelandAir flight had a layover in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Fotieo booked a hotel room in the capital city to quarantine for 10 days, spending Christmas alone.
She finished her quarantine period on Thursday and told CNN that she hopes to spend the remaining few days of her holiday with her family.
The flight attendant who helped her on the plane, Ragnhildur “Rocky” Eiríksdóttir, sent some Christmas gifts to Fotieo&#8217;s hotel while she was quarantined.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance stating that people who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have symptoms should quarantine for only five days rather than the previous longer period of 10 days.
The viral TikTok video came as U.S. flight cancellations rocked airlines over the Christmas season. Major airlines including Delta, United, and JetBlue said crew members had contracted the omicron variant of COVID-19 and were out sick. Some airlines including United, Spirit, and Alaska even offered crew members more pay to work flights that were understaffed.
From Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, airlines cancelled about 13,000 flights in the U.S., <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/03/airline-flight-cancellations-from-omicron-weather.html">according</a> to FlightAware.
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Daily Life In Wales During The Coronavirus Pandemic

WATCH: Woman Filmed TikTok As She Self-Isolated In Airplane Bathroom After Testing Positive For COVID

The jury reached a guilty verdict in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s former girlfriend.
The jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts on Wednesday, including conspiracy to entice individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8220;illegal sexual activity,&#8221; conspiracy to transport individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8220;illegal sexual activity,&#8221; transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in &#8220;illegal sexual activity,&#8221; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under 18, and sex trafficking of an individual under 18.
Maxwell is expected to appear for a sentencing hearing at a later date.
Maxwell has been on trial in Manhattan federal court since late November on charges of recruiting minor girls as young as 13 for Epstein to sexually abuse and in some cases personally participating in the sexual abuse.
Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 before the well-connected and wealthy financier could go on trial for his alleged decades of grooming and sexual abuse, including rape, of young girls in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Maxwell, who spent her 60th birthday in jail on Saturday, is charged with eight counts related to the sex trafficking of minors over a decade-long period between 1994 and 2004, including sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. A separate, later trial will consider two perjury charges against the British socialite.
Maxwell pled not guilty to all counts. The charges against her carry up to 70 years in prison.
Earlier this month, Maxwell opted not to testify herself in her own defense at her trial.
The prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments last week on Monday as the trial entered its fourth week just before Christmas.
Over the course of the trial, the prosecution painted a picture of a pair of fully-grown adults, Maxwell and Epstein, who were “partners in crime” and had a “playbook” for targeting minors and sexually abusing them.
“Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous. She was a grown woman who preyed on vulnerable kids,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said in closing arguments.
Maxwell and Epstein&#8217;s “horrifying crimes” caused &#8220;deep and lasting harm to young girls,&#8221; Moe said.
The defense attempted to cast doubt on the credibility of Maxwell&#8217;s accusers, saying the women have “contaminated” memories of their abuse. The defense also tried to assign selfish motives to nearly all the government’s witnesses, saying the women are motivated by money in going after Maxwell decades after the alleged abuse occurred.
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard from four of Maxwell&#8217;s accusers, several former Epstein employees, a psychologist specializing in sexual abuse, and a memory expert that Maxwell&#8217;s defense called, among others.
One of Maxwell&#8217;s accusers, a woman testifying under the pseudonym  “Jane,” testified that Epstein and Maxwell abused her together when she was just 14 years old. Maxwell took her on shopping trips, asked her about her life, and discussed sexual topics with her, “Jane” said.
Three other women who say they were groomed or abused by Maxwell also testified. A woman testifying under the name “Kate” told the court that Maxwell set up meetings for girls to give Epstein sexualized massages. Another woman, Carolyn, testifying only under her first name, said that she was 14 when Maxwell touched her breasts and behind and told her she “had a great body for Epstein and his friends.” Annie Farmer, testifying under her real full name, last testified on Friday and said Maxwell massaged her naked breasts when she was 16.
Meanwhile, Maxwell fostered a “culture of silence” working as his “lady of the house” and taking care of his multiple residences, making hiring and firing decisions regarding his staff, and laying down “strict” rules for them, prosecutors said.
The trial prompted speculation that incriminating information could potentially come to light about some of the high-profile names connected to Epstein, such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell. However, the trial revealed little new information about Epstein&#8217;s circle of friends.
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Patrick McMullan Archives

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s Former Girlfriend, Found Guilty In Sex Abuse Trial

The jury in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s former girlfriend, has reached a verdict, finding Maxwell guilty on five of six counts.
The jury indicated that it had reached a verdict at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday after deliberating for six days.
&#8220;We have a verdict,&#8221; Judge Alison Nathan said.
Maxwell has been on trial in Manhattan federal court since late November for allegedly facilitating and personally participating in Epstein&#8217;s sexual abuse of minor girls as young as 13.
The well-connected and wealthy financier was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August of 2019 before he could go on trial for his alleged decades of grooming and sexual abuse, including rape, of minor girls in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Maxwell, who spent her 60th birthday in jail on Saturday, is charged with eight counts related to the sex trafficking of minors over a decade-long period between 1994 and 2004, including sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. A separate, later trial will consider two perjury charges against her.
The British socialite has pled not guilty to all counts. If convicted, she faces up to 70 years in prison.
Earlier this month, Maxwell opted not to testify in her own defense at the trial.
The prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments last week on Monday as the trial entered its fourth week just before Christmas.
Maxwell was an adult woman who became a dangerous predator targeting vulnerable young girls, the prosecution said.
“She manipulated her victims and groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said, arguing that Maxwell had worked with Epstein to commit “horrifying crimes.”
“It is time to hold her accountable,” Moe told the jurors.
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard from four of Maxwell&#8217;s alleged victims, several former Epstein employees, and a psychologist specializing in sexual abuse, among others.
One of the accusers, a woman testifying under the pseudonym “Jane,” testified that Epstein and Maxwell abused her together when she was just 14 years old. Maxwell took her on shopping trips, asked her about her life, and discussed sexual topics with her, “Jane” said.
Three other women who say they were groomed or abused by Maxwell also testified. A woman testifying under the name “Kate” told the court that Maxwell set up meetings for girls to give Epstein sexualized massages. Another woman, Carolyn, testifying only under her first name, said that she was 14 when Maxwell touched her breasts and behind and told her she “had a great body for Epstein and his friends.” Annie Farmer, testifying under her real full name, said that Maxwell massaged her naked breasts when she was 16.
Meanwhile, Maxwell fostered a “culture of silence” working as Epstein’s “lady of the house” and taking care of his multiple residences, making hiring and firing decisions regarding his staff, and laying down “strict” rules for them, prosecutors said.
The defense has attempted to cast doubt on the credibility of Maxwell&#8217;s accusers, saying the women have “contaminated” memories of their abuse. The defense has also attempted to assign selfish motives to nearly all the government’s witnesses, saying the women are motivated by money in going after Maxwell decades after the alleged abuse occurred.
On Monday, jurors requested the transcripts of certain witness&#8217; trial testimony and asked for the definition of “enticement.” The judge referred them to her jury instructions, which she had read to jurors before Christmas break and before they began deliberating.
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates. 
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Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Verdict Is In

Jeffrey Epstein

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday that antigen tests may be less effective in detecting the Omicron variant, which early data has shown to be more contagious but less lethal than other variants.
&#8220;Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has been monitoring and evaluating the potential impact of genetic variants on antigen tests,&#8221; the FDA said Tuesday in updated <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/sars-cov-2-viral-mutations-impact-covid-19-tests#omicronvariantimpact">guidance</a>.
&#8220;Early data suggests that antigen tests do detect the omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity,&#8221; the agency said.
The FDA added that a person who tests negative with an antigen test but is still suspected to have COVID should get a molecular test to make sure. A person who tests positive with an antigen test should self-isolate and seek medical care, the FDA said.
&#8220;The FDA continues to authorize the use of these tests as directed in the authorized labeling and individuals should continue to use them in accordance with the instructions included with the tests,&#8221; the agency said. &#8220;Antigen tests are generally less sensitive and less likely to pick up very early infections compared to molecular tests.&#8221;
Antigen coronavirus tests are rapid tests that can be done at home. Another type of COVID diagnostic test, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, takes longer and must be processed in a lab.
The first case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. was only <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1201-omicron-variant.html">confirmed</a> on December 1, but the new variant has spread rapidly within the country.
Last week, President Biden announced that he is preparing to distribute 500 million at-home rapid COVID tests to Americans for free. However, the website for Americans to order the tests will not be up and running until January, and test manufacturers have said they are already working to produce rapid tests as fast as they can.
The administration also said it will deploy military medical personnel to aid hospitals.
The week before Christmas, Biden warned that unvaccinated Americans will be responsible for ushering in a “winter of severe illness and death” and will soon “overwhelm” hospitals.
“I want to send a direct message to the American people: Due to the steps we’ve taken, Omicron has not yet spread as fast as it would have otherwise done &#8230;” Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/12/16/remarks-by-president-biden-after-meeting-with-members-of-the-covid-19-response-team/">told</a> reporters after a COVID-19 briefing at the White House. “But it’s here now and it’s spreading and it’s gonna increase.”
“We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm. But there’s good news: If you’re vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you’re protected from severe illness and death,” Biden said.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance stating that people who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have symptoms should quarantine for only five days rather than the previous longer period of 10 days.
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In this photo illustration a negative result in an antigen

FDA: Antigen Tests May Be Less Effective In Detecting Omicron

Omicron Variant

Among the scores of refugees the U.S. has admitted from war-torn Afghanistan are hundreds of children who were evacuated without their parents and are now in government custody waiting to see if they will be reunited.
About 1,450 children were evacuated without their parents, according to numbers from the Office of Refugee Resettlement <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/27/us/afghan-children-evacuated-without-parents-cec/index.html">obtained</a> by CNN.
Some of the children got separated from the their families as they were attempting to flee Afghanistan together, and some lost communication with their parents when the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul was bombed. The bombing also killed some of the children&#8217;s parents as well as 13 members of the American military.
Out of the 1,450 children who came to the U.S. without their parents, most have been released to sponsors, who are sometimes the other family members they fled with or family members who were already living in America.
However, about 250 children are still in government custody, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/27/us/afghan-children-evacuated-without-parents-cec/index.html">according</a> to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and most have no family members with whom to reunite in the U.S.
Some children have been able to contact their families and friends in Afghanistan through WhatsApp, but some have not been able to get in touch, CNN reported. The family reunification process is complicated further by some children having their names and dates of birth recorded incorrectly on their official U.S. evacuation documents, the outlet reported.
<div data-paragraph-id="paragraph_E8FCEF4B-1965-555F-85F9-D900F30E9B59" data-act-id="paragraph_9">
In August, President Biden pulled all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, marking the end of the longest war in U.S. history, spanning nearly two decades.
Biden&#8217;s withdrawal was widely regarded as botched by both sides of the aisle.
Up to 15,000 Americans were still trapped in Afghanistan after U.S. troops left and the Taliban took control of the country. The State Department said at the time that the U.S. government “cannot ensure safe passage” to Kabul’s international airport for U.S. citizens still trapped in the country and hoping to catch an evacuation flight.
Meanwhile, the U.S. left a substantial amount of military equipment in Afghanistan that ended up in the hands of the Taliban. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan acknowledged that “a fair amount” of U.S. defense materials had fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
Over the last two decades, tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have been resettled in the U.S., including nearly 37,000 who were evacuated just as the U.S. pulled its troops out. In 2019 there were an <a href="https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/research/afghan-immigrants-in-the-united-states/">estimated</a> 132,500 Afghan immigrants in the U.S.
Several states have said they will not accept Afghan refugees into their states for resettlement. Two Republican governors, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, both said they would refuse to accept refugees.
“We do not want them coming here unless we know they are an ally and a friend, and that they don’t want to destroy this country,” Noem <a href="https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/08/18/noem-skeptical-afghan-refugee-resettlement-efforts/">said</a>.
Other governors have taken a more open approach, Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey saying his state “wholeheartedly welcomes Afghans who served alongside America’s military forces.”
</div>
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Mairead Elordi