“Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11 at one-third the dose used in adolescents and adults, according to a new study from the companies.
Many parents have been eagerly awaiting a vaccine for children, who have returned to school amidst a national wave of COVID-19 cases. Cases of COVID-19 in children have jumped about 240% since July.
Children are less likely to become severely ill from COVID-19 than adults, but they can catch and pass on the virus and occasionally suffer serious disease and long-term consequences.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will need to sign off on the vaccine before it becomes available to children, but government officials have promised to quickly review the data.” Read more at USA Today
“Skyrocketing Covid-19 cases are forcing hospitals to ration care, leading to life-or-death decisions even for those without the virus. Some 80% of ICU beds in the country are in use, with nearly 30% occupied by Covid-19 patients, recent data from the US Department of Health and Human Services shows. In the past week, the US has averaged around 1,926 Covid-19 deaths a day, the highest average since early March. The FDA’s vaccine advisers on Friday declined to recommend approval of Covid-19 booster doses for everyone who got vaccinated six months ago or longer. They did, however, recommend emergency use authorization for people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe infection, and health care workers and others at high risk of getting infected at work.” Read more at CNN
“Thousands of migrants have gathered under the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas along the southern US border, waiting for processing and possible entry into the US. As of Saturday, there were more than 14,300 migrants -- many of them Haitian -- under the bridge. That number has swelled from about 400 early last week. The Department of Homeland Security is getting resources from the Defense Department for more assistance in the area, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he will head to Texas to address the situation. DHS is also planning to ramp up deportation flights to Haiti. The tight, squalid conditions under the bridge, where migrants are gathered en masse under makeshift tents, have also raised concerns of possible humanitarian and public health crises.” Read more at CNN
“The Senate parliamentarian ruled last night that Democrats can't include pathways to citizenship in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, Axios' Stef Kight reports.
Why it matters: It's a blow to Democrats' hopes of providing pathways for millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
At issue was how tightly the provision relates to the budget.
‘Changing the law to clear the way to [legal permanent residence] status is tremendous and enduring policy change that dwarfs its budgetary impact,’ the parliamentarian wrote in the ruling.
The reconciliation route would have allowed Democrats to pass politically contentious immigration changes with only 50 Senate votes, as opposed to the usual 60 required.
The plan would have provided green cards for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders and undocumented essential workers.
Context:
It's the second time since President Biden took office that the parliamentarian has clipped Democratic efforts to push the limits of reconciliation. The first time stopped efforts to raise the minimum wage.
What to watch: Democrats plan to go back to the parliamentarian to see if there are other routes.” Read more at Axios
“Beto O’Rourke, who nearly defeated Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 and ran for president last year, will probably run for governor of Texas.” Read more at New York Times
“Canadians head to the polls today in a snap election that could bolster Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position -- or imbue the country’s government with bitter political polarization. Trudeau called the snap election in mid-August, barely two years into his minority government, betting he could capitalize on his handling of the pandemic to win a majority in parliament. However, he has faced a significant challenge from Erin O’Toole, Canada's Conservative Party leader. Trudeau and O’Toole are likely the only party leaders with enough support to form a government. The pandemic, climate change, housing affordability and gun control have all featured as major issues, but election experts say many Canadians don’t see the need for this election and are annoyed with the political posturing and vitriol that has accompanied it.” Read more at CNN
“The families of 10 civilians killed in a US airstrike in Kabul in late August are demanding justice after the US military admitted the strike was a mistake. Initially, the Pentagon said the airstrike, which came during the chaotic final days of the US troop withdrawal, had successfully targeted a facilitator affiliated with ISIS-K and destroyed a car full of explosives. A US military investigation into the incident revealed the car was likely not a threat associated with ISIS-K. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top general of US Central Command, said the strike was a ‘mistake.’ Of the 10 civilians killed, seven were children. This incident has fueled more criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the troop withdrawal and evacuation from Afghanistan.” Read more at CNN
“At least eight people have died and 28 were wounded after a shooter opened fire at Perm State University in Russia, state investigators said on Monday, as footage circulated on social media showing students hurling themselves from windows in a bid to escape.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, a law enforcement agency, said the attacker was a student and was apprehended following the incident.
Witnesses described hearing panicked screams and the sound of gunshots popping repeatedly as some students ran to safety and others barricaded themselves in classrooms.
The attack, which came as the country awaited results from Russia’s parliamentary elections, dominated headlines on Monday in the country, where shootings are relatively rare. Russia has strict laws on civilian gun ownership and requires people to pass psychological exams before obtaining a license for hunting and sport firearms.” Read more at Washington Post
“High-level talks at the 76th UN General Assembly kick off this week, with world leaders meeting to debate two major global challenges: ending the pandemic and forging a healthier economy. Other divisive issues will be on the table, too, likely including the military coup in Myanmar, the future of democracy in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, tensions with Iran and North Korea, and climate issues. Despite urging from the US government to attend the meeting virtually, more than 100 heads of state and government are due to come to Manhattan in person, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and US President Biden.” Read more at CNN
“Congress members get back to work Monday, facing several major decisions that will test Democratic unity in the coming weeks as lawmakers vote on President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, routine funding for the federal government and the size of the federal debt. Part of the reason for the collision of so many big-ticket spending bills is that lawmakers approved a two-year deal in 2019 for more spending and a suspension of the debt limit. Now the bills are coming due while pressure builds to pass Biden's $3.5 trillion budget bill and a $1.2 trillion transportation plan to fund roads and bridges. A thorny policy debate governing election law also looms ahead. Here are some of the issues that will dominate the end of September and early October.” Read more at USA Today
“WASHINGTON— Mitch McConnell’s record-long reign as Senate Republican leader has lasted long enough for former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump has spoken recently with senators and allies about trying to depose Mr. McConnell and whether any Republicans are interested in mounting a challenge, according to people familiar with the conversations. There is little appetite among Senate Republicans for such a plan, lawmakers and aides said, but the discussions risk driving a wedge deeper between the most influential figure in the Republican Party and its highest-ranking member in elected office.
Since failing to be re-elected, the former president has maintained high levels of support among conservative voters, and polls show he has convinced much of the party that the 2020 results were fraudulent. Mr. McConnell has said that President Biden won the election and that Mr. Trump’s ‘wild falsehoods’ about the outcome were responsible for the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.
They have also split on policy this year. Mr. McConnell joined 18 fellow Senate Republicans in voting for a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, despite Mr. Trump saying the deal ‘makes the Republicans look weak, foolish, and dumb.’
The feud between the two men threatens to splinter the party when Republicans could be building momentum in their bid to recapture control of Congress next year. As polls have shown Mr. Biden’s approval rating dipping below 50% this summer—a troubling signal for Democrats’ political fortunes—the two Republican septuagenarians remain divided over how to tilt the balance of a 50-50 Senate back toward their party.
In a recent interview, Mr. Trump declined to discuss whether he was recruiting challengers for Mr. McConnell. The former president did say he wanted Senate Republicans to oust the Kentuckian from the leadership position he has held for almost 15 years.
‘They ought to,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘I think he’s very bad for the Republican Party.’
Mr. McConnell declined to comment. But his grip on the party’s 50 senators appeared steadfast.
‘Naw, I’m not going to get in that fight,’ said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R., Ala.), one of Mr. Trump’s top allies in the Senate. Mr. McConnell, he added, ‘is doing a good job.’
Republican senators vote every two years on which members to elevate as leaders, and Mr. McConnell’s eighth term in the top spot—the longest-ever tenure for a Republican leader—doesn’t end until the next session of Congress in January 2023. The record for either party is held by Mike Mansfield of Montana, who was Democratic leader of the Senate for 16 years until he resigned in 1977.
Mr. McConnell has held on to his position by maintaining a high level of satisfaction among Senate Republicans even as retiring members repeatedly cite the diminishing chances for legislative accomplishment as a reason for quitting.
Political-action committees run by allies of Mr. McConnell—including the Senate Leadership Fund, American Crossroads and various state-specific groups—spent $462.5 million in helping to elect Republicans in 2020.
In the first six months of 2021, Mr. Trump stockpiled $102 million in political cash. He reported no donations to Republican campaigns during that time.
Sen. John Kennedy equated the former president’s odds of ousting Mr. McConnell to that of a donkey learning to fly.
‘I just don’t realistically see that happening,’ said Mr. Kennedy, a Republican facing re-election next year in Louisiana and one of Mr. Trump’s confidants in the Senate.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Since the 2020 election, Republicans in state legislatures have been tightening rules around voting and ballot security, passing more than 100 pieces of legislation in 24 states. Now some Republicans in Michigan, where they are weighing tightening voter rules, are pausing their efforts—in part because they believe some election-law changes could hurt their own party at the ballot box.
This summer state Rep. Ann Bollin, the Republican who chairs the Michigan House Elections and Ethics Committee, said there was ‘not support’ to make the absentee voting process more difficult. Ms. Bollin, herself a former township clerk, cited concerns from county clerks, including Republicans from largely conservative areas, who said the bills could have negative impacts on voter participation among voters of all stripes, Republicans as well as Democrats.
The move has set off a fight within the state GOP over whether the new rules are necessary and whether they could actually hurt Republicans in the state. Other proposals have also been shelved for now.
Michigan Republicans aren’t alone in their concerns. Party officials in a handful of other states voiced disapproval over the new proposals and laws.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“KIGALI, Rwanda — Paul Rusesabagina, the prominent dissident who was portrayed in the Oscar-nominated movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’ was found guilty on Monday of forming an armed terrorist group in a monthslong case that drew international condemnation after government officials boasted about having tricked him into returning to Rwanda.
Mr. Rusesabagina was once praised for sheltering more than 1,200 people in the hotel he managed during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. But he gradually became one of the most high-profile critics of Rwanda’s longtime leader, Paul Kagame, calling out the president for his increasingly repressive rule. Mr. Kagame in turn accused Mr. Rusesabagina of profiting from invented stories about his heroism and of financing armed rebel groups to overthrow his government.
Mr. Rusesabagina was tried on nine charges, including forming an illegal armed group, kidnapping, arson and murder. Judge Beatrice Mukamurenzi said, ‘The court finds that they should be found guilty for being part of this terrorist group.’
‘They committed terror acts which they later bragged about in different announcements and videos,’ the judge added.
Timothy P. Longman, a professor of political science and international affairs at Boston University and the author of two books on Rwanda, said, ‘This trial fits into a long history in Rwanda of silencing dissent.’
‘The actual verdict in the Rusesabagina case is almost irrelevant at this point, because the message has been clearly sent that no Rwandan is safe to speak out against President Kagame and the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front,’ he added.
Mr. Rusesabagina boycotted the trial in March, saying he did not expect to find justice. He had been living in Texas last year when he was deceived by Rwandan government operatives into getting on a plane in Dubai that brought him to Kigali, the Rwandan capital. He says he was initially denied access to attorneys of his choosing, held in solitary confinement, tortured and interrogated in a secret detention center.
Mr. Rusesabagina and his lawyers have also contended that his rights to confidential communication and to prepare his defense have been repeatedly violated. The trial, which began in February, received widespread condemnation from Mr. Rusesabagina’s family, rights groups, legal associations, and European and American lawmakers. More than three dozen U.S. senators and representatives have urged Mr. Kagame to release him.” Read more at New York Times
“OK, it definitely wasn’t the Pandemmys, or the Zoomemmys, or whatever you want to call last year’s virtual Emmy ceremony — with everyone at home, and visitors in hazmat suits showing up to bestow awards.
This year was different — defiantly so. People were together, and not even in masks (except during commercial breaks.) There were plenty of hugs and kisses — in fact, quipped presenter Seth Rogen, he had just been sneezed in the face by Paul Bettany. (Guests had to present vaccine proof and negative COVID-19 tests.)
Full Coverage: Emmy Awards
But of course, this wasn’t the PRE-COVID Emmys either. The crowd, in a tent in downtown Los Angeles, was much smaller than in normal years. And many overseas nominees couldn’t come due to travel restrictions — especially the cast and crew of ‘The Crown,’ which accepted its six drama awards from a party in London, as ‘Schitt’s Creek’ had done a year earlier in Canada.
And in a year where so much was different, there were some familiar problems. Awards were concentrated among a few shows. The hashtag #EmmysSoWhite emerged — a record number of nominees of color yielded only two Black winners, RuPaul for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and Michaela Coel for writing ‘I May Destroy You.’ A slew of Black actors were passed over.
Cedric the Entertainer proved an infectiously joyful and hard-working host, but the comedy bits were spotty at best. It also didn’t help that some overlong speeches dragged down the proceedings, for example from the director of “The Queen’s Gambit,” who was criticized on Twitter for a speech that to some, seemed to feel as long as a chess game.
Still there were feel-good moments: Debbie Allen. Jean Smart! Kate Winslet. Ted Lasso himself — heck, all Ted’s friends, too. And perhaps best of all, the fiercely original Coel, giving a stunning (and concise!) speech about writing.
Some key moments of the evening:
A JEANAISSANCE...
Yes, the expected Jeanaissance happened, with veteran Smart receiving a standing ovation after winning best actress in a comedy — her fourth Emmy in a long career — for playing a Las Vegas stand-up comic in ‘Hacks.’ She immediately paid tearful tribute to her husband, Richard Gilliland, who died in March: ‘I would not be here without him, and without his … putting his career on the back burner so I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities I have had.’ It was a theme -- personal loss -- that was threaded through a number of speeches.
Jean Smart (Television Academy via AP)
AND THE GREAT KATE
While ‘Mare of Easttown,’ also featuring Smart, lost out to ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ for best limited series, it won three key acting awards, including the Great Kate — Winslet, of course — who captivated audiences with her role as a ‘a middle-aged, imperfect, flawed mother,’ in her words, in which she also nailed a very difficult Philadelphia accent. The show ‘is this cultural moment, and it brought people together and gave them something to talk about other than a global pandemic,’ Winslet noted.
Winslet. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
THE LASSO EFFECT
It was unquestionably the feel-good show of the year, and ‘Ted Lasso’ — about the unrelentingly upbeat American coach of a British football team — started winning early, with ebullient stage actress Hannah Waddingham accepting the award for best supporting actress in a comedy, closely followed by Brett Goldstein for supporting actor. Then Jason Sudeikis, the titular coach, made it a happy trio, winning best actor. ‘This show’s about families, this show’s about mentors and teachers, this show’s about teammates, and I wouldn’t be here without those three things in my life,’ said Sudeikis. He told castmates and crew: ‘I’m only as good as you guys make me look.’ The Apple TV+ show capped off the night by winning best comedy….
Sudeikis. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
DEBBIE ALLEN GETS TO STOP THE CLOCK...
‘Turn that clock off,’ Allen said as she launched into her speech accepting the Governors Award. ‘I’m not paying any attention to it.’ She added she was ‘trembling with gratitude and grace and trying not to cry ... it’s taken a lot of courage to be the only woman in the room most of the time.’ She urged a younger generation to ‘Tell your stories … it’s your turn.’ The crowd cheered — when you have her career as an actor, dancer, choreographer and activist, you’re allowed to ignore the playoff music.
Debbie Allen. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
BUT NOT EVERYONE IS DEBBIE ALLEN
Then there was Scott Frank, director of ‘The Queen’s Gambit.’ When he won, he thanked some folks, then more, then more, reading from a prepared speech.. The playoff music swelled, several times, but he continued, saying at one point: ‘Really?’ Frank was called out on Twitter. ‘This is why directors need editors,’ wrote writer-producer Danny Zuker, calling the remarks ‘The Irishman’ of speeches.
A WRITER, ON WRITING
Luckily, what followed was probably the night’s highlight — the remarks by Coel, of ‘I May Destroy You.’ She said she had something to tell the writers out there. ‘Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable,’ she said. ‘I dare you.’ In a world, she added, where we all feel the need to be visible, equating it with success, ‘do not be afraid to disappear … See what comes to you in the silence.’ Coel dedicated her show, in which she played a survivor of sexual assault, ‘to every single survivor of sexual assault.’” Read more at AP News
Michaela Coel. (Television Academy via AP)
“MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) — Authorities said a body discovered in northern Wyoming was believed to be that of a 22-year-old woman who disappeared while on a cross-country trek with a boyfriend now the subject of an intense search in a Florida nature preserve.
The FBI said the body of Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito was found Sunday by law enforcement agents who spent the weekend searching camp sites on the eastern border of Grand Teton National Park.
The cause of death not yet been determined, said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Charles Jones. Specifics on where and how the body was found were not disclosed.
“Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified,” Jones said. ‘This is an incredibly difficult time for (Petito’s) family and friends.’
Boyfiend Brian Laundrie, 23, has been identified as a person of interest in the case. He was last seen Tuesday by family members in Florida.” Read more at AP News
“Lives Lived: John Shelby Spong was the first American bishop to ordain a woman into the clergy and the first to ordain an openly gay man. Spong died at 90.” Read more at New York Times
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