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New COVID vaccine OK'd for people 5-and-older

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- The CDC voted to recommend a brand new version of the COVID-19 vaccine after the FDA also approved it. Everyone 5-and-older is eligible for the new COVID vaccine. Kids under 5 can also get it but they may need more than one dose.Dr. Mandy Cohen said, "We're in our strongest position yet to fight COVID-19.""The federal government is putting vast amount of money into research and these MRNA vaccinations are really, really working," said John Giramendi, a Democrat from California.Last week, though, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky criticized the recommendation of multiple doses for kids."Norway, South America and the UK all chose to recommend only one dose of Pfizer due to the risk of cardio vascular side effects for boostering kids," Paul said.But Dr. Anthony Fauci said it's important to consider all the facts. "The risk of myocarditis from COVID itself is greater than the risk of the vaccine."Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said research and COVID vaccine development need t...

Drew Barrymore dropped as ceremony host after her talk show resumes during strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Drew Barrymore has been dropped as host of the upcoming National Book Awards ceremony, a day after her talk show taped its first episode since the Hollywood writers strike began.“The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture," the National Book Foundation, which presents the award, said in a statement Tuesday. "In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony.”The awards event, sometimes referred to as the Academy Awards of the publishing world, is scheduled for Nov. 15.Barrymore's resumption of her CBS talk show doesn't inherently cause issues with the actors guild, which is also on strike, as daytime talk shows are governed by a different Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Rad...

Nazi memorabilia, firearms found in Colorado home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man was arrested after law enforcement said they searched his home and found more than a dozen firearms, potentially destructive devices and Nazi memorabilia and drawings.According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, 36-year-old Dean Fabiano was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Man bitten near homeless camp raises safety concerns The investigation began after U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package from China labeled "TOYS" which came from a company known to send gun parts and counterfeit merchandise into the United States.According to a criminal complaint, the package contained two Glock switches and was addressed to Fabiano. Neither of the switches, which allow a handgun to operate in a fully automatic fashion, had serial numbers."What I found fascinating was that the feds had been tracking the importation of various trigger devices that would cause semi-automatic handguns, li...

Teenager dead, juvenile suspect in custody after Louisiana school shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

Editor’s note: The victim’s name has been corrected. We apologize for the error.GREENSBURG, La. (WVLA) — A teenager is dead and another is in custody after a shooting at a Louisiana school on Tuesday. The incident happened at the St. Helena College and Career Academy at around 3:30 p.m., according to authorities in Greensburgh, Louisiana. Joe Chaney, Chief of Operations with the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the shooting left one student dead while two others had been hospitalized. The conditions of those injured weren't immediately available. A relative at the scene identified the teenager who was killed as Vernon Gordon Jr., 16. He was a football player.A juvenile suspect has been taken into police custody, according to the sheriff's office, and the motive remains under investigation. The St. Helena Parish School District posted to Facebook on Tuesday that classes have been canceled until Friday, as has the upcoming football game. “A tragic incident occurred on the camp...

Paxton communicated with lawyer via encrypted messages, witness says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas’ Court of Impeachment reconvened Tuesday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial, leading off with testimony from Brandon Cammack — the outside counsel Paxton hired to help investigate campaign donor Nate Paul’s claims that are central to the articles of impeachment. Affair and bribery: Witness testimony from day 5 of Paxton's trial Outside counsel hired to investigate Nate Paul's claims reported 'directly to Paxton'Cammack, a Houston attorney, had about five years of experience when he was hired to investigate Paul's claims — which top deputies in Paxton's office had previously looked into and said testified that found to have no merits. Cammack testified Tuesday that he was excited to work for the attorney general's office and after meeting with Paul and his attorney, Michael Wynn, he thought Paul's claims were "serious, if true."Cammack told the jury that he was hired directly by Paxton who told him he woul...

Most should get the new COVID vaccines, U.S. experts say. Availability is imminent.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

By MIKE STOBBE and LAURAN NEERGAARD (AP Medical Writers)Most Americans should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, health officials said Tuesday.Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the new shots for everyone 6 months and older and the agency’s director quickly signed off Tuesday on the panel’s recommendation. That means doses should be available this week, some as early as Wednesday.The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, but there are still thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths in the U.S. each week. Hospitalizations have been increasing since late summer, though the latest data indicate infections may be starting to level off, particularly in the South.Still, experts worry that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections is fading in many people, and a new shot would save many lives.According to a survey last month that CDC cited, about 42% said they would definitely or probably get the new vaccine. Yet only about 20% of a...

Farah Stockman: Corruption is an existential threat to Ukraine, and Ukrainians know it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

President Joe Biden talks of the world being divided into autocracies and democracies. But a more important division exists: between kleptocracies, where leaders treat their nations like personal piggy banks, and places where corruption is the exception rather than the rule.Since 2014, Ukrainians have been fighting to drag their country into that second category. The Maidan revolution, which sent a pro-Russian president packing, wasn’t just about freeing Ukraine from Russian influence. It was also about breaking the stranglehold of oligarchs who — as in so many former Soviet republics — controlled everything from television stations to the politicians on ballots. The fight against corruption amounts to a second front in Ukraine’s war against Russia.Ukraine is making progress, no small feat in the middle of a hot war. But it is still ranked the second most corrupt country in Europe, after Russia, according to Transparency International. Since the February 2022 Russian invasion, a hos...

Saratoga Springs holds ribbon cutting for new senior center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The city of Saratoga Springs opened a new senior center on Tuesday. A ribbon cutting was held at the senior center's new location on West Avenue next to the YMCA.It offers hands-on activities, trips, food, and other amenities, as well as a way to make connections with others. Get the latest news, weather, and sports delivered right to your inbox! "It's not about the senior center; it's about a hub for older adults in this community to come to," Saratoga Springs Senior Center Exec. Dir. Lois Celeste said. "It's like a college campus. Where do you go when you relocate here? Where do you go when you move here to be with your children or your grandchildren? When you lose a life partner, where do you go? This is it."It costs $35 per year to join. The project was funded through a $3 million donation from Stewart's Shops.

Longtime firefighter promoted to assistant chief

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schenectady Fire Department promoted a longtime member on Tuesday. Deputy Chief George Burns was officially named to the assistant chief position during a ceremony at city hall.Burns has served in the department for 26 years and returned after being laid off for 2.5 years, which the chief said demonstrates his dedication. Burns said he's grateful for the opportunity. Get the latest news, weather, and sports delivered right to your inbox! "I pledge to work tirelessly to uphold the high standards and values of our department, and I will strive to lead by example," he said. "Always putting the safety and well-being of our community and our membership at the forefront of our actions."Burns also thanked his family for their support.

Chief Judge Rowan Wilson takes oath of office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York's top judge took the oath of office on Tuesday. A ceremony was held for Rowan Wilson, the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals.Judge Wilson began his career as a judge in 2017 after working as a lawyer for more than 30 years. He believes his experience on both sides of the bench will serve him well in his new role. Get the latest news, weather, and sports delivered right to your inbox! "From the vantage point of a couple of people whose judgment I respect, they thought I was taking a little time to transition from being an advocate to being a judge," he said. "I hope that I've reconciled that by imagining myself as having the role of an advocate for the law and an advocate for the people of New York."Wilson was nominated after the Senate rejected Judge Hector LaSalle's nomination with some democrats arguing LaSalle was too conservative. The previous chief judge, Janet DiFiore, stepped down last summer.